Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday passed an Ordinance to prohibit forced religious conversions for the sake of marriage and make it a punishable offense.
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, Cabinet Minister and government spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh told mediapersons here after the meeting.
Also, covering up the original name before the marriage will attract 10 years of imprisonment.
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.
