Uttarakhand governor returns Bill against forced conversion to state govt

Dehradun, Dec 17 (PTI) Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (retd) has returned the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill-2025, which aims to further strengthen the law against forced conversions in Uttarakhand, to the state government.
    According to sources, the governor returned the Bill to the government due to some clerical errors in the language of the draft.
    This amendment Bill was passed in the Monsoon Session of the Assembly held in Gairsain, after which it was sent to the governor for approval.
    This Bill was introduced to amend the Freedom of Religion Act, which has been in force in the state since 2018, for the second time. The first amendment to this Act was made in 2022 when Pushkar Singh Dhami became the Chief Minister's for the second time.
    The Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill-2025 provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and a hefty fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for forced conversions. Currently, the maximum punishment for this crime in Uttarakhand is 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000.
    In the Bill, there is a provision for three to 10 years’ imprisonment in general cases, five to 14 years in cases involving vulnerable groups, and 20 years or life imprisonment and heavy fines in serious cases.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)