The Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Gurmit Singh, gave a nod to the State’s Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, the government said on Friday.
The State will now issue a formal notification of the amended bill after which forced conversion will come under the category of “crime”.
Mr. Ranjit Sinha, Secretary to the Governor, has confirmed the Governor’s assent to the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act.
There was a long standing demand in Uttarakhand for strict action against forced conversions, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said. Following this, the Uttarakhand government introduced the Uttarakhand Religion Freedom Amendment Bill in the Assembly on November 29. After the bill was passed, it was sent to the Governor for approval.
As per the amended bill, conversion by force, greed or fraud will be a crime in the State. Those found guilty will get imprisoned for up to 10 years. In the new law, a fine of ₹50,000 has been made compulsory. Anyone found guilty of conversion will have to pay up to ₹5 lakh to the victim.
This law was made in Uttarakhand in 2018. There was a provision of punishment of one to five years for conversion by force or inducement.
Published - December 23, 2022 08:58 pm IST
