Police stopped a wedding ceremony between a Hindu woman and a Muslim man. (Figurative)
Lucknow:
A week after a new Uttar Pradesh government ordinance was signed into law to stop the illegal conversion, police in the state capital Lucknow stopped a wedding ceremony between a Hindu woman and a Muslim man, citing the ordinance. .
The wedding was supposed to take place on Wednesday in the Para area of Lucknow. But minutes before the ceremonies began, a police team arrived at the scene and asked both parties to accompany them to the local police station.
At the police station, both parties were asked to first apply for permission for the marriage from the Lucknow district magistrate, according to police.
“On December 2, we received information that a girl from one community wanted to marry a boy from another community. We called both parties to the police station and gave them a copy of the new illegal conversion ordinance and both parties have given their consent in writing that according to the law they will inform the DM (district magistrate) and get his permission before proceeding with things, “Suresh Chandra Rawat, a senior Lucknow police officer, told the media.
While the families of the man and the woman have not commented, sources say the wedding took place with the consent and knowledge of both families and that there was no coercion involved. Sources say both families intend to move forward with the wedding after completing the legal formalities required by law. Neither was there any intention of converting either party, family sources have stated.
The Uttar Pradesh Illegal Religious Conversions Prohibition Ordinance (2020) says that religious conversions that use falsehood, force or incentive, or that take place solely for the purpose of marriage, will be declared a crime. Those who plan to convert after marriage, the government said, will need to inform the District Magistrate of their intention at least two months in advance.
The burden of proof, that the conversion was not forced or by marriage, will be on the person who is converted, and all cases filed under the ordinance will not be subject to bail.
Under the ordinance, forced conversion (or conversion by fraud) will be punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of Rs. 15,000. If the forced conversion involves a woman from marginalized communities, then this will increase to between three and 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs. 25,000. Massive conversions will attract a similar jail sentence and a fine of Rs. 50,000.
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