SC seeks response from Rajasthan on plea challenging validity of anti-conversion law

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Rajasthan Government seeking its response on a petition challenging the validity of the State’s 2025 law against illegal religious conversions.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih tagged the plea filed by ‘Catholic Bishops Conference of India’ with separate pending petitions challenging the validity of the provisions of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.

The top court had earlier agreed to hear some separate pleas raising similar issues and sought replies from the state Government.

During the hearing on Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that similar matters are pending consideration before the apex court. The petitioner has urged the apex court to declare the 2025 Act “ultra vires and unconstitutional”. 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.

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

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