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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Life in jail, Rs 10L fine: Uttarakhand conversion bill gets stringent; allows property seizure, arrest without warrant
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to a strict Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for "forced conversion", reports Kautilya Singh. The govt is likely to table the bill in the House for approval during the three-day monsoon session commencing on Aug 19. At present, the maximum jail term for such an offence is 10 years and the highest fine is Rs 50,000. The new bill proposes to raise the jail term to 14 years, and, in some cases, to 20 years which may even extend to life imprisonment. Arrests can be made without a warrant and the DM can seize properties acquired through crimes related to conversion. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said: "Uttarakhand is Devbhoomi and a place where saints through the ages came to meditate. In last few years, there have been instances of demographic changes under guise of illegal conversions. The proposed amendment is a major step to ensure that the social fabric of the state is not changed. Therefore, we have come up with stringent measures." Proposal: All offences under newprovisions shall be non-bailable As per the cabinet's proposal, "Whoever receives funds from foreign or (other) entities concerning unlawful religious conversion shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than seven years and which may extend up to 14 years, and shall also be liable to a fine not less than Rs 10 lakh." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hatibandha: New Container Houses – Take A Look At The Prices! Container homes | Search ads Learn More Undo It further states, "Whoever, with the intent to convert, instils fear for life or property, assaults or uses force, promises marriage or incites or conspires for such conversion, or traffics a minor woman or person or otherwise sells them, or attempts or conspires for this purpose, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than 20 years and which may extend to life imprisonment, meaning imprisonment for the remainder of that person's natural life, and shall also be liable to a fine. " According to the new provisions, concealing religion for marriage is a crime, and offenders could face three to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 3 lakh. On "mass conversion", the document says it will attract imprisonment of not less than seven years and up to 14 years, and shall be liable to a fine not less than Rs 1 lakh. Concerning "a minor, woman or a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, or a disabled or mentally challenged person", the punishment shall be imprisonment not less than five years, which may extend up to 14 years and liable to a fine not less than Rs 1 lakh. For general cases, the jail term would range from three years to 10 years and a fine of Rs 50,000. All offences under the new provisions shall be cognizable and non-bailable and triable by a sessions court. Arrests can be made without a warrant and bail will only be granted if the court is convinced the accused is not guilty and will not repeat the offence. As per the proposal, if any property is acquired through crimes related to conversion, the DM can seize it. The provision mentions: "If the district magistrate has reason to believe that any property in possession of a person, whether movable or immovable, was acquired as a result of an offence under this Act, they may order the seizure of such property, regardless of whether a court has taken cognisance of such offence. "Provisions of the Indian Civil Protection Code shall apply to every such seizure, with necessary modifications. The district magistrate may appoint an administrator for any property seized under subsection (1) and the administrator shall have all powers to manage it in the best interest of such property. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
‘Situation is bad, will do whatever it takes to save lives. But it's a tough task'
Uttarakhand CM Puskhar Singh Dhami's chopper could land near disaster-hit Dharali only after five attempts on Wednesday. In an interaction with Kautilya Singh, the CM spoke about the current situation in the village and plans on how to take forward the rescue and relief ops. Excerpts: What is the present situation in Dharali? The area has got disconnected from the district headquarters. Due to heavy rains and landslides, roads leading to Dharali are damaged, so is an important bridge nearby. The helipad at Harshil is also hit, making heli operations even more difficult. To top it, communication networks have been disrupted. Power supply has snapped. The situation is adverse, but our rescue teams are putting their best efforts to save lives. It is a Herculean task. How many people are feared trapped in the debris? Some individuals have given wrong information that hundreds got trapped in the debris. This is completely wrong and misleading. According to our information, a total of 190 people were rescued, and 120 are from the right side of Dharali village area and 70 from the left. According to initial information, around five or six locals and some labourers might have got trapped under the debris. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Two bodies were brought out. Going by fresh inputs, another dozen odd people might be trapped. Despite the hurdles, what is the progress of rescue ops? Teams from the Army, ITBP, SDRF, police and revenue department are carrying out rescue operations. Relief camps have been set up at Inter College Harsil, GMVN and Jhala. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to restore electricity and communication networks on a war footing. NIM and SDRF teams have begun constructing a temporary bridge at Limchagadh. At our request, the Centre has deployed two Chinooks and two MI-17 helicopters from Chandigarh, Sarsawa and Agra to Jolly Grant Airport early on Wednesday morning. Heavy machinery is being airlifted via Chinook helicopters to restore road connectivity. Around 125 Army personnel and 83 ITBP personnel are actively involved in rescue operations. BRO teams, including six officers and over 100 laborers, are working to clear blocked roads. Are there any tourists trapped at Dharali? So far, there is no information regarding tourists at Dharali. Besides, due to the monsoon, the number of pilgrims coming to Gangotri and other dhams has gone down considerably. I met the locals as well, but they did not give any information about tourists. There was a fair near the village on Tuesday, and it is said that around 100 to 150 people had gone there. With roads disconnected and helipad damaged, how do authorities plan to take the rescued people to hospital? This is a major challenge. We have planned a strategy to take the rescued persons from the Nelong side. A team of four doctors has already reached Harshil and efforts are on to bring them to Dharali at the earliest. Besides, a team of 13 specialists from Dehradun has been moved to Uttarkashi district hospital. A team of specialists has also been deployed at ITBP Matli and two more specialist doctors are scheduled to arrive at Uttarkashi on Thursday.
