Chapter I Chapter I

Preliminary

1. (1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026.
2. (2) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) “allurement” means an offer of any temptation in the form of,—
   • (i) any gift, gratification, easy money or material benefit either in cash or kind; or
   • (ii) employment; or
   • (iii) free education in school or college run by any religious body or institution; or
   • (iv) promise to marry; or
   • (v) better lifestyle, divine healing; or
   • (vi) portraying practice, rituals and ceremonies or, any integral part of a religion in a detrimental way vis-a-vis another religion; or
   • (vii) glorifying one religion vis-a-vis another religion;
2. (b) “coercion” means compelling an individual, family or group to act against his or their will, by use of psychological pressure or physical force causing bodily injury or threat thereof, including the threat of divine displeasure or social ex-communication or threatening of dire consequences with regard to life, limb or property of the related persons;
3. (c) “Competent Authority” means the District Magistrate or any officer authorized by the Government;
4. (d) “conversion” means renouncing one’s own religion and adopting another religion;
5. (e) “deceit” means dishonest behaviour, trying to make somebody believe to something which is not true;
6. (f) “force” includes use of criminal force or threat of injury of any kind to the person converted or sought to be converted or to any other person or property;
7. (g) “fraudulent” means impersonation of any kind by false name, false surname, false religious symbol, fraudulent contrivance or otherwise, acting individually or in collusion;
8. (h) “institution” includes all legal entities (registered or unregistered), educational institutions, religious, social or charitable organizations, orphanages, old age homes, hospitals, association of persons, Non-Governmental Organizations, and such other organizations;
   • (i) “mass conversion” means conversion from one religion to another religion of two or more persons at the same time;
9. (j) “minor” means a person under eighteen years of age;
10. (k) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act ;
11. (l) “religion” includes any organized system of worship pattern, faith, belief, worship or lifestyle, as prevailing in India or any part of it, or defined under any law or custom for the time being in force;
12. (m) “religion converter” means any person or institution of any religion that perform any act of conversion from one religion to another religion;
13. (o) “undue influence” includes relations subsisting between the persons are such that the religion converter is in a position to dominate the will of the other and uses that position to convert such other person from one religion to another religion;
14. (p) “unlawful conversion” means conversion of person from one religion to another, by use or practice of allurement, coercion, deceit, force, misrepresentation, threat, undue influence, or any fraudulent means, or by brainwashing through medium of education or by any other such means.