The Maharashtra government has notified August 28 as the date when the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 will come into force, following presidential assent. The state's Home Department issued the notification on Monday.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the move a Raksha Bandhan gift for the state's women, saying the law would protect “Ladki Bahins” and daughters from exploitation.
According to the gazette notification, the law will take effect on August 28 after the state government exercised its powers under Section 1(2) of the Act.
Once the law comes into force, offences under it will be cognizable and non-bailable. This means police can register cases without a court order, while bail will not be available as a matter of right.
The Act bars religious conversions carried out through force, allurement, fraud or false promises of marriage, provisions the state government has said are aimed at curbing so-called "love jihad" and marriages that conceal religious identity.
When the bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly in March, it carried a punishment of up to seven years' imprisonment and a fine for conversions carried out under the pretext of marriage, with harsher penalties, including fines of up to Rs 5 lakh, for offences involving minors, women, persons with unsound mind, or those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
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Mass conversions attract similar penalties, while repeat offenders face up to ten years in prison.
The bill was introduced by Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, and passed by the Assembly in March following a debate in which the Congress, NCP and Samajwadi Party opposed it, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) objected to a clause placing the burden of proof on the accused.
With its notification, Maharashtra becomes the 13th Indian state to enact such a law.
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