SC agrees to hear pleas challenging validity of Rajasthan's law against illegal religious conversion

New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear two petitions challenging the validity of several provisions of the law against illegal religious conversions that came into force in Rajasthan last month.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Rajasthan government seeking its response within four weeks on the pleas against the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025, that was passed by the state assembly in September.

"Why are you aggrieved by this enactment?" the bench asked the advocate appearing for one of the petitioners. The top court also asked why the petitioners did not challenge the Act before the Rajasthan High Court.

The counsel submitted that similar pleas challenging the validity of anti-conversion laws of several states were pending in the apex court.

The lawyer said the petitioner has also sought a stay on the operation of the Act pending final disposal of the plea.

He referred to the punishment provided under the Act and said the fines stipulated for some of the offences under the law were "mind-boggling".

While issuing notice on both the pleas, the bench posted them for hearing after four weeks.

In September this year, another bench of the apex court had sought the stand of several states on the pleas seeking a stay on their respective anti-conversion laws.

The top court had made clear that it would consider the prayer for staying the operation of such laws once the replies were filed.

The bench was then dealing with a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka.

The Rajasthan law has a provision of imprisonment for 20 years to life for mass conversions through deception and a jail term of seven to 14 years for conversions by fraudulent means.

Conversion of minors, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and persons with disabilities through deceit would attract a jail term of 10 to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 10 lakh. PTI ABA ABA RT RT