A case of forced conversion was recently reported in Nagpur. In a video, which has since gone viral, a 24-year-old woman is seen crying and pleading as her former classmate chants religious verses. The police have confirmed that the survivor has shared the video as evidence in her complaint. The incident reportedly is over a year old, as the survivor chose to remain silent out of fear. However, she recently shared the details of the incident with her husband and filed a police complaint. In the video, Ayyaz Taj Madare (26) is holding the young woman and blowing over her as a part of black magic. The woman has alleged that she was declared converted after the incident. She also made charges of attempted rape after the conversion incident. The victim is the wife of an Indian Air Force personnel in Nagpur. She alleges that Ayyaz held her, drugged, raped, and blackmailed her with leaking obscene videos. During this time, the accused extorted a huge amount of money from her. He pressured her to convert from her religion to a new one. Ayyaz has been arrested.
The case comes days after another alleged conversion case was reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli. A physiotherapist and her father were arrested after an anti-conversion case was registered against the duo. The police action took place after father Ayush Malik complained that his son was forcefully converted to Islam. Devaraj Malik alleged that his son was targeted as part of a conspiracy to extort money and usurp the property.
These conversion cases are not isolated. India has witnessed several such cases over time. Some convert out of coercion, while others do so of their own will. However, these two recent cases have brought back the debate around the anti-conversion laws.
There is no provision in the Constitution that bars religious conversion in India. Neither is there any law enacted by the central government that prohibits the practice. However, over the last decade, several states have passed legislation that regulates the forced conversion. At present, there are twelve states that regulate the conversion practices. These states have enacted stringent laws that penalize forced conversion.
States Who Have Passed Anti-Conversion Laws
Here is the list of 12 states that have passed anti-conversion laws:
Odisha passed the law in 1967
Madhya Pradesh passed the anti-conversion law in 1968, but amended it in 2021
Arunachal Pradesh passed it in 1978 however, the state has not passed the rules for implementation
Chhattisgarh came into law in 2000, and amended it in 2006
Gujarat brought the law in 2003 and amended it in 2021
Himachal Pradesh enacted the law in 2006; however, it amended it in 2019
Jharkhand brought the law in 2017 to combat religious conversion in the state
Uttarakhand passed the law in 2018
Uttar Pradesh is among the recent additions bringing the law in 2020
Karnataka passed the law in 2022
Rajasthan passed the bill in 2025
Maharashtra is the most recent addition, passing the law in 2026
What Are Anti-Conversion Laws? Penalities, Provisions Explained
Anti-conversion laws are brought with the objective to prohibit forced religious. The intention is to penalize the conversion by fraud, misrepresentation, and force. Different states have different levels of penalties against the conversion.
The law penalizes the conversion through allurement. This means if a conversion takes place after a person is promised freebies like education, money, employment, or benefits of marriage, the state can declare it illegal and initiate legal action.
To change the religion, these laws demand that the person, including the priests performing the conversion, submit a prior notice to the District Magistrate. The notice needs to be submitted within 30 to 60 days.
The most troubling legal aspect of these laws is that the burden of proof is inverted in these cases. In criminal law, the established norm is that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. However, in conversion cases, the accused has to prove that the person is not guilty.
The prison term for the accused typically varies from one to five years. However, if a minor, Scheduled Castes (SC) or the Scheduled Tribes (ST), or a woman is converted, the prison term varies from seven to ten years. Some states enacted laws that declare marriage null and void if the wedding takes place based on a religious conversion. The courts automatically nullify the marriage.
As the debate around the conversion continues, there has been criticism against the BJP-led governments in several states. Human rights organizations and civil rights groups have accused the authorities of weaponizing the laws against minorities, including Christians and Muslims.
Also Read: Who Are Chandni Qureshi And Ayush Malik? All About The Shamli ‘Love Jihad’ Case
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
