Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Dr Sumita Misra, has directed all Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police, Senior Superintendents of Police, and Superintendents of Police to strictly enforce the provisions of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and Rules, 2022.
Providing further information, an official spokesperson stated that under the provisions of the Act, any person intending to convert their religion must submit a declaration in Form A to the concerned Deputy Commissioner prior to the conversion. 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, thereby ensuring formal documentation and transparency in the conversion process.
The Act further provides that within thirty days of the public display of the notice, any person may file a written objection with the Deputy Commissioner. Upon receiving 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 violates the provisions of the Act such as involving force, fraud, coercion, or other prohibited means the Deputy Commissioner has the authority to deny permission for the conversion by issuing a detailed and reasoned order.
He clearly stated that the government’s intention is not to interfere with an individual’s freedom of religion, but rather 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 individual from one religion to another through misrepresentation, force, threat, undue influence, allurement, or fraudulent means, including digital methods. It also prohibits conversions carried out by or for the purpose of marriage.
The spokesperson added that unlawful conversion carries a punishment of imprisonment ranging from one to five years, along with 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 belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe attracts 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 persons 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 shall be considered null and void. However, any child born from such a marriage is deemed legitimate, and the succession of their property shall be governed by the inheritance laws applicable to their parents, the spokesperson added.