UTTAR PRADESH ANTI CONVERSION LAW (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, which prohibits religious conversion through "unlawful" means. The UP government has now tabled a new bill to amend the Act, aiming to make it stricter and more widely enforceable.

Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024

• Expanded Access to FIR Filing: The Bill removes restrictions on who can file a First Information Report (FIR), allowing anyone to register a complaint in cases of unlawful conversion.
• Stringent Bail Conditions: It proposes stringent bail conditions, similar to those applied to accused persons in terrorism and money laundering cases. Bail pleas will not be considered without an opportunity for the public prosecutor to be heard.
• Increased Punishment: The punishment for unlawful conversion is increased, with penalties including 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment for severe offenses.
• Serious Offenses Categorization: The Bill categorizes certain acts, such as threatening, attacking, marrying, promising marriage, or conspiring to do so with the intention of conversion, as serious crimes, potentially leading to life imprisonment.
• Expanded Court Jurisdiction: Cases of unlawful conversion will now only be heard by Sessions Courts, removing jurisdiction from lower courts.
• Non-Bailable Offenses: All crimes under the amended Act are made non-bailable, restricting the possibility of release on bail.
• Protection Against Coercion and Trafficking: The Bill also includes severe penalties, including a minimum of 20 years imprisonment, for causing fear of life or property, assault, use of force, promises or instigations of marriage, or trafficking of any minor, woman, or person.

Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021

• About: The Act aims to control conversions that occur through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or fraudulent means.
• Increased Penalties for Repeat Offenders: Individuals who repeatedly violate the law may face up to double the standard punishment.
• Void Marriages for Conversion: Marriages conducted solely for the purpose of unlawful conversion are declared legally void.