Gujarat’s Rupani government passes bill against forcible conversion by marriage

After Uttar Pradesh and MP, Gujarat became the third state to pass an amendment bill providing for a prison sentence of up to 10 years for “forcible conversion by marriage”.

According to the newly introduced amendments to the Gujarat Religious Freedom Act 2003 on Thursday, “Insofar as conversion by marriage or by getting a person married or by aiding a person to get married is concerned, shall be punished with imprisonment, which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than two lakh rupees”.

In case a minor, a woman or someone from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe is converted, the punishment “shall not be less than four years but which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than three lakh rupees”.