Madhya Pradesh High court grants relief to interfaith couples

BHOPAL: Granting interim relief to interfaith couples from coercive action by the state government, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has termed the concerned provision of the anti-religious conversion law as “unconstitutional.”

A division bench of the HC’s principal seat Jabalpur, comprising Justices Sujoy Paul and Prakash Chandra Gupta, said on November 14, “...a strong prima facie case is made out by the petitioners for grant of interim protection in relation to the marriage of two adult citizens on their volition and against any coercive action for violation of Section 10 of the 2021 Act.

Section 10 (of the MP Freedom of Religion Act 2021) makes it obligatory for a citizen desiring conversion to give a declaration in this regard to the district magistrate, which in our opinion ex facie is unconstitutional.” 

The 2021 Act provides for up to 10 years in jail and a fine up to Rs 1 lakh for religious conversion through coercion, force, allurement and fraudulent means and misrepresentation, including marriages solemnised through fraudulent means.