Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Dr. Sumita Misra has directed all Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police, Senior Superintendents of Police and SP to strictly enforce the provisions of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and Rules, 2022.
Giving more information in this regard, an official spokesperson informed that under the provisions of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and Rules, 2022, any person intending to convert their religion must, prior to the conversion; submit a declaration in Form A to the concerned Deputy Commissioner. In cases where the individual to be converted is a minor, both parents or the surviving parent are required to submit a declaration in Form B. Additionally, any religious priest or person organizing a conversion ceremony must provide prior notice in Form C to the Deputy Commissioner of the district where the conversion is planned. Upon receiving such declarations or notices, the Deputy Commissioner will acknowledge them by issuing a receipt ensuring formal documentation and transparency of the conversion process.
Furthermore, the Act provides that within thirty days of the notice being displayed, any person may file a written objection with the Deputy Commissioner. Upon receipt of such objections, the Deputy Commissioner is empowered to conduct a thorough verification and inquiry as prescribed. If, after the inquiry, the Deputy Commissioner finds that the proposed conversion is in contravention of the Act such as involving force, fraud, coercion, or other prohibited means the District Deputy Commissioner has the authority to decline permission for the conversion by issuing a detailed and reasoned order.
He clearly stated that the government's intention is not to interfere with individual freedom of religion, but to safeguard citizens from deception, coercion, or unlawful inducement. He further informed that the Act prohibits any person from converting or attempting to convert another person from one religion to another through misrepresentation, force, threat, undue influence, allurement, or fraudulent means (including digital modes). It also prohibits conversion by or for marriage.
The spokesperson said that the Unlawful conversion carries a punishment of imprisonment for a term of one to five years and a fine of not less than one lakh rupees. If a person conceals their religion to marry, the punishment is imprisonment for three to ten years and a fine of not less than three lakh rupees. Conversion of a minor, a woman, or a person from a Scheduled Caste or Tribe results in imprisonment for four to ten years and a fine of not less than three lakh rupees. Mass conversion, defined as the conversion of more than two people at the same time, is punishable with imprisonment for five to ten years and a fine of not less than four lakh rupees.
The Act also stipulates that any marriage solemnized in contravention of the provision against concealing one's religion for marriage is considered "null and void". However, any child born from such a marriage is deemed legitimate, and their property succession is governed by the inheritance laws of their parents, spokesperson added.