Maharashtra passes Freedom of Religion Bill; CM says not against any community
India Today
As per the Bill, those involved in unlawful conversions on the pretext of marriage will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and shall also be liable for a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Violations in respect of a minor, a person of unsound mind, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
The Maharashtra assembly on Monday night passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which has stringent provisions to prohibit religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage, by voice vote.
As per the Bill, those involved in unlawful conversions on the pretext of marriage will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and shall also be liable for a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
Violations in respect of a minor, a person of unsound mind, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
Mass conversions will have a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Repeat offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh, as per the Bill.
"The proposed anti-conversion law in Maharashtra is not directed against any particular religion, and it aims only to prevent religious conversions carried out through force, fraud or inducement, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the assembly.
He noted that several states, including Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Jharkhand, have already enacted similar laws.
India on Monday said it has not held bilateral talks with the United States on deploying naval vessels to secure merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The clarification came after US President Donald Trump urged countries to send warships to keep the strategic waterway open amid tensions with Iran.
After attacking his wife, Nafees attempted suicide by inflicting injuries on himself with the same scissors. Neighbours intervened after hearing the commotion and stopped him from taking his own life.
The victim, identified as Naitik Kumar, allegedly rammed his speeding Bullet motorcycle into a scooter near Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow, triggering a crash that left him dead and two others injured.
RJD MLA who skipped Bihar Rajya Sabha poll voting cites mother's illness
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata against the alleged LPG shortage, accusing the PM Narendra Modi-led Centre of failing to ensure adequate supply.
Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, has moved the Delhi High Court over "false and malicious" reports linking her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The family, a resident of Thyagaraju Street in Punganur town, had recently repaired the engine of their two-wheeler vehicle. A local mechanic advised the family to keep the engine running overnight to "set" the newly installed parts. However, this turned out to be fatal for the family.
The Supreme Court closed criminal proceedings against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad after the Haryana government said it would not grant sanction to prosecute him over social media posts related to Operation Sindoor.
Three Congress MLAs in Bihar are reportedly out of contact as voting for five Rajya Sabha seats is underway, with the INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA locked in a tight contest for the fifth seat that could hinge on cross-voting.
Bunty Solanki stabbed his wife to death following a quarrel at their residence in Vadodara's Bakrawadi area. Rita died on the spot.
The girl's family members were angered over the friendship, and as a result, they called Jadhav last Saturday evening and allegedly beat him.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that direct talks with Iran to restore shipping through the war-hit Strait of Hormuz have yielded results, stressing that direct engagement with Tehran is the most effective way to address the disruption.
This moment comes days after the Supreme Court allowed Harish Rana to die with dignity – a historic first court-ordered case of passive euthanasia in India. The court acknowledged the medical opinion that Rana will never recover and that the tubes that feed him and keep him alive are only prolonging his pain.