The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 will come into force across the state from August 28, according to a gazette notification issued by the Maharashtra government.
The law, which is aimed at preventing unlawful religious conversions, covers conversions allegedly carried out through force, fraud, coercion, allurement, misrepresentation, undue influence, inducement or marriage-related deception.
The legislation was passed by the Maharashtra legislature in March and subsequently received the President’s assent. The latest gazette notification specifies August 28 as the date on which the Act will be implemented.
The law is designed to regulate religious conversions and lays down a specific procedure for people who intend to change their religion.
Under the Act, a person intending to convert must give 60 days' prior notice to the designated district authority. A declaration is also required after the conversion as part of the prescribed procedure.
The Act also treats conversions obtained through force, coercion, fraud, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation or deception linked to marriage as unlawful.
Offences under the law are cognizable and non-bailable. The legislation provides for imprisonment of up to seven yearsfor unlawful conversion, while repeat offenders can face up to 10 years in prison along with fines.
The law also allows certain relatives of a person allegedly subjected to unlawful conversion to file a complaint. Investigations are to be conducted by designated police officers, while cases under the Act are to be tried by a Sessions Court.
The Maharashtra government has maintained that the law is intended to prevent forced and fraudulent conversions, rather than stop people from voluntarily changing their religion.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said that the legislation does not prohibit voluntary conversion but seeks to prevent conversions carried out through force or fraud.
While introducing the Bill in the Maharashtra Assembly, Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar said: "In recent years, there have been instances of forced religious conversions from one faith to another. These incidents disrupt public order and damage social harmony. I introduce Legislative Assembly Bill No. 20 of 2026, the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026."
The legislation has also received support from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Thackeray said freedom of religion is a constitutional right but maintained that force, exploitation and fraudulent inducement to change someone's faith should not be allowed.
"I saw the bill that came forward regarding conversion... If someone uses threats to force conversion, action should be taken against them... We support the bill."
The legislation has also faced strong criticism, particularly from AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
In March, while the Bill was still being debated, Owaisi criticised several of its provisions and argued that the law could affect genuine conversions and interfaith couples.
He said: "The Maharashtra anti-conversion bill is worse than the worst of such laws, such as the one in UP. These laws already criminalise even genuine conversions, make it risky for interfaith couples to marry, and require prior permission for conversion. But the Maharashtra law now penalises anyone even endorsing conversion documents and prohibits conversion by 'brainwashing through education'. These broad terms can be used to arrest people arbitrarily, which is the purpose of this Bill."
Owaisi made the remarks in a post on X in March.
With the implementation of the Act, Maharashtra joins several other Indian states that have laws regulating religious conversions.
The legislation is part of a wider trend of state-level laws dealing with conversions allegedly obtained through force, fraud, inducement or other prohibited means. States including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh have similar legislation or provisions regulating religious conversion.
The Maharashtra law is now scheduled to take effect across the state on August 28, 2026.
Sources: ANI, Maharashtra Government Gazette, PRS Legislative Research, The Indian Express, The Times of India