Declaration before conversion of religion and pre-report about conversion

Declaration before conversion of religion and pre-report about conversion.-

1. (1) One who desires to convert his religion, shall give a declaration in Form-I at least thirty days in advance to the District Magistrate or the Additional District Magistrate specially authorized by the District Magistrate in this regard of his residing district or place of birth within the state.
2. (2) The religious converter who performs conversion ceremony for converting any person of one religion to another religion, shall give thirty days advance notice in Form-II of such intended conversion, to the District Magistrate or the Additional District Magistrate specially authorized by the District Magistrate of the district from where the proposed converter hails.
3. (3) The District Magistrate, after receiving the information under sub-section
4. (1) and
5. (2) shall notify proposed religious conversion on the notice board of the office of the District Magistrate and in the office of the Tahsildar calling for objections. If any objections are received within thirty days, he shall get an inquiry conducted through officials of Revenue or Social Welfare Department with regard to genuine intention, purpose and cause of the proposed conversion.
6. (4) If the District Magistrate comes to a conclusion based on the said inquiry of the commission of an offence under this Act, he shall cause the concerned police authorities to initiate criminal action for contravention of the provisions of section 3.
7. (5) Any conversion in contravention of sub-section
8. (1) or sub-section
9. (2) is illegal and void.
10. (6) Whoever contravenes the provisions sub-section
11. (1) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than rupees ten thousand.
12. (7) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section
13. (2) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year, but may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than rupees twenty five thousand.