SC seeks Rajasthan government's reply on plea challenging anti-conversion law

JAIPUR: In a significant move, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government on the controversial Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order after hearing the petition filed by the Jaipur Catholic Welfare Society and sought a response from the Rajasthan government within four weeks. The law, which, according to the government, is intended to curb alleged illegal religious conversions in the state, came into effect in October this year. In its petition, the Jaipur Catholic Welfare Society stated that the law is constitutionally flawed and contradicted existing SC judgments. It also asserted that the state legislature exceeded its authority in enacting the law.The law contains several stringent and problematic provisions, including the clause stating that if a mass conversion is carried out on a property, the premises will be liable to demolition and confiscation by the administration. The legislation also explicitly includes marriage conducted for religious conversion within the definition of “illegal conversion.”If an individual marries another by offering false promises, allurements or misleading information with the intent to convert them –regardless of whether the intent arose before or after the marriage– it constitutes a punishable offence under the law. Such marriages can also be declared void by the court, a clause that has been linked to cases branded as “love jihad.”The law makes all related offences non-bailable, significantly increasing the difficulty of obtaining bail.Even voluntary conversion now requires a lengthy process of prior state approval: an application must be filed with the District Collector or ADM 90 days in advance, followed by a public notice displayed at their office. Objections can be filed within two months, and the conversion is permitted only after the objections are heard and resolved.The law prescribes severe penalties for violations. Illegal conversion is punishable with 7 to 14 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Conversion of vulnerable individuals –such as minors, women, disabled persons, and SC/ST individuals– attracts 10 to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh. Mass conversions carry a minimum sentence of 20 years, which may extend to life imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 25 lakh. Using foreign or illegal funding for conversion results in 10 to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20 lakh.Even failing to inform the Collector about a conversion carries 7 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh. Repeat offenders face life imprisonment and heavy fines.



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