Lucknow, Nov 24 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday passed an Ordinance to make forceful religious conversions for the sake of getting married a punishable and non-bailable offense.
The Unlawful Conversion Prohibition Ordinance 2020 makes conversion through force, coercion, undue influence, deceit or by way of alluring into marriage in the category of cognizable and non-bailable offence.
As per the Ordinance, interfaith couples need to give two-month advance notice to the District Magistrate (DM) for marriage and only after the DM's permission, the ceremony can take place.
Inter-religion marriage without permission will attract jail from six months to three years and a minimum fine of Rs 10,000, state Cabinet Minister and government spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh told mediapersons here.
According to the Ordinance, covering up the original name before the marriage will attract 10 years of imprisonment. Officials said here that as the conversion has been provisioned to be a non-bailable and cognizable offence, the cases related to this will be tried in the court of the first class magistrate.
As per the provision of the Ordinance, the marriages which are solemnised with a purpose of conversion may be declared null and void while in case of mass conversion the registration of certain organisations may be cancelled.
Moreover, any violation of the law or conversion will attract one to five years of jail and minimum fine of Rs 15,000. If it is the case of any minor or SC/ST girl, then the punishment will be three to 10 years and minimum fine of Rs 25,000. In the case of mass conversation, the jail term will be three to 10 years with a minimum fine of Rs 50,000.
Mr Singh said that the Ordinance has been brought to provide justice to the women."There are at least 100 such incidents where women were forced to convert after their marriage as the husband covered up his original name," he claimed.
The Ordinance will come into force after Governor Anandiben Patel gives her approval. As per rules, within six months from promulgation of Ordinance, the government has to table the bill in the Assembly and get it cleared.
Earlier this week, Allahabad High Court stated that two adults have the right to choose their life partner. The court made it clear that no person or family could interfere in their peaceful life. Even the state cannot object to the relationship of two adults, stated the High Court.
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