The Uttar Pradesh Assembly today passed an amendment bill enhancing punishment under Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law, making all the crimes under this Act non-bailable.
The amended bill increases the maximum punishment to life imprisonment and fine of Rs 5 lakh for violators.
Under the amended provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2024, if a person threatens, attacks, marries or promises to marry or conspires for it, or traffics a woman, minor or anyone with the intention of conversion, then his crime will be placed in the most serious category.
The amended bill provides for 20-year imprisonment or life imprisonment in such cases.
Earlier, a maximum punishment of 10 years and a fine of Rs 50,000 was provided under it.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna introduced the bill in the House on Monday.
Under the amended provision, now any person can register an FIR in conversion cases. Earlier, the presence of the victim, parents, siblings was necessary, but now the scope has been widened. Now anyone can give information about it to the police in writing.
The cases under law will not be heard by any court below sessions court and along with this, the bail plea will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken this initiative with the intention of curbing 'love jihad', a term confined by Hindu outfit for alleged forcible conversion.
An ordinance was issued for this in November 2020 and later, after the bill was passed by both the houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act-2021 came into force.
(With PTI Inputs)
"Congress Could Have Built Ram Mandir In Ayodhya In 1947 If...": Yogi Adityanath BJP Dubs Congress "New Muslim League" For Scrapping Anti-Conversion Law Karnataka To Scrap BJP Government's Anti-Conversion Law Justice DY Chandrachud's Final Message As Chief Justice Of India Elon Musk Replies To 'We Need Your Help Removing Trudeau' Post 2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Bags 5-Star GNCAP Rating, Delivers 25.71 Kmpl To Curb Deaths, Tamil Nadu Declares Snakebite A Notifiable Disease With YouTube As Guide, UP Men Printed Rs 500 Notes On Rs 10 Stamp Paper NHIDCL Partners With AICTE To Launch Internship Programme For Students Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.