UP registers first case under 'love-jihad' law

The new law mandates a jail term of up to 10 years and fines for forceful religious conversion for the purpose of marriage.

Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): The first case has been registered under the newly-promulgated Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, at Deorania Police station in the district, the police informed on Sunday.

The case involves an absconding man accused of forcing a woman to convert her religion, police said.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel had on Saturday promulgated the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020. This came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Cabinet on November 24 cleared the Ordinance, proposing a maximum punishment of 10 years for "love jihad" related offences.

On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Siddharth Nath Singh had informed about the state cabinet's decision to introduce an ordinance against unlawful religious conversions.

"There were more than 100 incidents reported in which forceful religious conversion was being done. Also, it was reported religious conversions were going on in the state using deceitful means. So to make a law on this becomes an important matter of policy now," Siddharth Nath Singh said.

The new law mandates a jail term of the accused between one to five years, with Rs 15,000 penalty, if convicted for carrying out forceful conversions for marriage."For conversions of minors and women of SC/ST community, there will be a jail term of 3-10 years with Rs 25,000 penalty," Singh had said.

(ANI)