Maharashtra anti-conversion law draws first blood: Why two men were booked in Pune

Cases have been filed under the new Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act against a 22-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh and a UK-based individual of Indian originIn the first such action under Maharashtra’s newly-enacted anti-conversion law, the Pune police have booked a 22-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh and a UK-based individual of Indian origin for alleged conversions. The cases were registered on August 5 and 9 under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026.Prashant Amrutkar, deputy commissioner of police, special branch, Pune police, confirmed the cases and said investigations were underway.In the first case, police booked the 22-year-old man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012, and the anti-conversion law. This was after a resident of Ludhiana in Punjab, who originally hails from Uttar Pradesh, registered a case that his minor daughter had eloped with the man last year. The family traced her to Pune. She had allegedly been sexually abused and attempts were being made to convert her to the man’s faith.In the other case, Rev Bishop Pankaj Devanur, an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card-holder, was booked under the anti-conversion law at the Khadak police station. It is alleged that he was trying to convert others to his faith through sermons. Devanur had given a sermon at a church at Guruwar Peth in Pune on August 7. He is a resident of Manchester but hails from Wai in Satara district. The complaint in this case is a rickshaw driver from Bhavani Peth in Pune. He claimed to have come across Devanur’s teachings on social media and decided to attend his sermon at the church “believing it was a religious discourse of the Hindus”. The complainant claimed Devanur used references from Hinduism to preach the path of Jesus to Hindus present at the gathering. He alleged that the purpose of the congregation was conversion to Christianity.Amrutkar said legal steps, such as deporting the bishop, would be taken. However, advocate Vijaysinh Thombare, who is representing Devanur, maintained that the charges were fabricated. “It was the 142nd anniversary of the church and the bishop had been invited for it. He had come for the programme officially. His lecture covered aspects mentioned in Christianity. Some people came and stopped the programme. The police too intervened and issued him a notice,” said Thombare.Thombare said the complaint contravened provisions of the anti-conversion law, which stipulates that only an individual who has been converted or their relative can lodge a complaint. Moreover, the complaint made no reference to any attempt to convert.The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, penalises violations by individuals, organisations or institutions, with punishments up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 7 lakh. Activists claim the law has led to fears about misuse against minorities and encroachment upon rights such as to choice, privacy and equality. They also allege the law is meant to prevent inter-faith marriages.Hindu right-wing groups claim Muslim men are engaged in “love jihad”, a pejorative term meaning marriage for the purpose of conversion. Such allegations have led to communal tension, such as in February when a 21-year-old was allegedly kidnapped by two men from another community at Bhigwan near Pune. Maharashtra is the 13th state to enact an anti-conversion law.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Yashwardhan SinghPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 19:31 IST