The governor of Chhattisgarh state, India on April 7 signed legislation against forcible conversion that is harsher than similar laws that authorities and vigilante groups have used to falsely accuse Christians, sources said.
In one of the states of India where Christians are most persecuted, Chhattisgarh Gov. Ramen Deka gave his assent to the law that will come into force after publication in the official gazette, replacing a 1968 statute that Christian leaders say was already weaponized against their communities. The new law introduces penalties that rank among the harshest for forced or fraudulent religious conversion in India.
The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill (Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak) 2026 makes it a cognizable, non-bailable offense to convert anyone through force, fraud, allurement, undue influence, misrepresentation or marriage, including through digital platforms such as social media.
The law specifically exempts conversion to Hinduism. Reconversion to one’s “ancestral religion” (Hinduism) is also not treated as a conversion under its provisions.
Punishments are severe and give authorities and third-party complainants sweeping powers of arrest. Standard offenses carry seven to 10 years in prison and a minimum fine of 500,000 rupees ($5,361). If the victim is a minor, a woman, a person of unsound mind or a member of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes, the sentence rises to 10 to 20 years and a minimum fine of 1 million rupees ($10,722).
A “mass conversion,” defined as the conversion of two or more persons in a single event, draws between 10 years and life imprisonment and a minimum fine of 2.5 million rupees ($26,806). Repeat offenders face life imprisonment for each subsequent offense. These penalties exceed those prescribed for offenses such as manslaughter in some states.
This story was originally published in christiandaily.com. Read the full story here.
