By Verghese V Joseph –
The Karnataka Cabinet on Monday approved the controversial anti-conversion bill (ACB) on Monday, paving the way for it to be tabled in the ongoing legislature session.
Sources said the Cabinet agreed to clear the ‘Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021’, without any changes. It will be tabled in the Assembly most likely on Tuesday.
According to the proposed legislation, complaints of conversions can be filed by family members of a person who is getting converted, or any other person who is related to the person who is getting converted.
A jail term of three year to five years, and a fine of Rs 25,000, has been proposed for people violating the law in the case of people from general categories and a jail term of three to 10 years, and a fine of Rs 50,000 for people converting minors, women and persons from the SC and ST communities.
The proposed law also envisages payment of a compensation of Rs five lakh (on court orders) to victims of conversion by the persons attempting the conversion and double punishments for repeat offenses. Marriages conducted with the intention of conversions can be declared null and void by a family court or a jurisdictional court, the draft bill says.
The offense of conversion has been deemed to be a cognizable and non-bailable offense that can be tried in a magistrate’s court under the proposed law.
Any person intending to convert to another religion after the law comes into force will have to give a notice two months in advance of the conversion to the district magistrate, the person who is carrying out the conversion must give a notice one month in advance, and the district magistrate must conduct an enquiry through the police on the real purpose of the conversion, says the draft law.
The proposed law also requires the person who gets converted to inform the district magistrate of the conversion within 30 days of conversion and must appear before the DM to confirm identity. Not informing the DM will lead to the conversion being declared null and void.
Once the conversion is confirmed, the district magistrate will have to inform revenue authorities, the social welfare, minority, backward classes and other departments of the conversion, who will, in turn, take steps with respect to the entitlements of the person in terms of reservations and other benefits.