UP man, British national charged under Maharashtra's new anti-conversion law

Pune police have registered the first two cases under Maharashtra's new anti-conversion law, involving a 22-year-old Uttar Pradesh man accused of attempting to persuade a minor to convert and a UK citizen accused of inducing people to embrace Christianity through religious gatherings.Registered days after the new law came into force, the cases are the first of their kind in Pune. (Representative image)Pune city police have registered two separate cases under Maharashtra’s newly enacted anti-conversion law, involving a 22-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh and a UK-based Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, officials said on Tuesday.The cases, registered within days of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 coming into force, are the first two such offences reported in Pune under the new legislation.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Prashant Amrutkar confirmed the registration of the two cases under the new law. The first FIR was registered at Phursungi police station on August 5, while the second was filed at Khadak police station on August 9.In the first case, police filed a case against a 22-year-old man following a complaint by Shivkumar Rawat, a Uttar Pradesh resident, regarding his missing minor daughter. The girl was traced by police after a complaint was received claiming that the accused had attempted to persuade her to convert to his religion. According to police, the accused and the girl were from the same village in Uttar Pradesh and had entered into a relationship before travelling to Karnataka and subsequently moving to Pune.According to the police, the man sought to influence the minor to change her religion during their stay, and investigators are now examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged conversion attempt. The accused has been booked under Sections 3 and 9(2) of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He has been arrested and is currently in judicial custody, police said.The second case was registered at Khadak police station against a UK-based OCI cardholder from Manchester. Police said the man was booked for allegedly attempting to induce people to embrace Christianity through religious gatherings.The UK citizen has also been booked under relevant provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, officials said.According to a Khadak police official, OCI cardholders are permitted to attend prayer meetings and participate in religious functions, but cannot preach, conduct kirtans or deliver religious discourses without the required permission.The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 was notified on July 31 and came into effect on August 1. The legislation prohibits religious conversion through coercion, fraud, force, threats, misrepresentation, undue influence or inducement.Police said investigations into both cases are underway and further details will emerge as evidence and the circumstances surrounding the alleged conversion attempts are examined.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 12, 2026 08:05 IST