'm ORlSSA FREEDOM OF RELIGION ACT, 19671 '
[Received the assent of the Gowrnor on the 9th JanM 1968, _firs! publisi~ed in arr extraordinary Issue
ofthe Orissa Gazette, dated rhe 11th . .
Jt~l~uary 19681 . . . . .
. ,
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR PRoI~IB~TION OF QONVERSION
FROM ONE RELIGION TO ANOTHER BY THB USE OF
FORCE OR . INDUCEMENT OR ,BY ~ U D U L E N T .
MEANS AND FOR MAT.TgRS INCIDENTAT, THERETO B E it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Orissa in the Eighteenth Ydr'of the Republic of India, as fo1lows :-
I. ( I ) This t. Act may be called the ' 0riss;lkit i i h e Freedom of Religion Act;. 1967. ~~tp~t. O~~ODG& apd, mcnL
(2) It shall extend to t h e ihole of t-he state
. of Orissai . , j - / -'.-. .. 2. . - . '. !.!,
' 1 : ' (3) It shan come into fork -at on&. , - . -, ' . I I .
2. Io th is Act unless the context ':~thelwise.,&i~, . .
requires- . -
(a) "con~ersion" means reno.uncing . . one
religion and , adopting . . another . . ; . . . . , . . .. ., ,. a
" : .
(b ) " force" shall include a show of;-fijrce or a t h r ~ a t of injury of any kind incl-
uding threat of divine displeasure or social ex-communication ;
(c) "fraud" shall include misrepresent at ion or
any other fraudulent contrivance ;
(d) "inducement" shall include the offer of any
gift or gratification, either in cash or in
kind and shall also include the grant of any bnefit, either pecuniary or otherwise; -
1. For Statemcot of Objects and Reasons See O r k a Goze~fe. extraor&. nary, daled the 13th Decemhcr. 1967 Wo. 1592).
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(&cs. 3-7); cg) c c 4 1 j ~ ~ ' ' means.& person .u,nder eighteen
3 , , : years of age.. Prohibition 3. NO person shall convert Or attempt to con-
of conversion. forcible vert, either directly or otherwise, any persfin from one religions faith,to: another b y the u~elof' force or
by.-inducement or--by. any fraudulent means nor shall
any person abet: any : such, conve~gion. Punishment
for contra-
4. Any person contravening the provisions vention Of contained in section 3 ..shall, without prejudice to
the provi- any civil liability, be uuishable with imprisonment of
fions of section 3. either description w g ich may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees
or witlid both. : . .
. ,
Erewidad that; in cue: the! offence is. committed
in: r,@psct : af 51; t~lim~,. a woman, on a., person
belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled xr;ibes> :tilei ~unlsuuea!, shiS be: imprisonment to the- extsnt' 68 two YQaLSi and h e up-to .ten thou- sand rupees.
off4p~e. tQ
M &*I.- 5, an offence.mde~this Act shaU be cognizable
mW*
m .
and sbsj! not be- i'svestigated by an Officer below
. the rank of an Inspector of Police.
Pmsacution 6. No prosecution for an, offeiice under this SIP mti: Act shall b madc. without the sanction of the sanctionof Magistrafe of th-~DiStrict or sucil'other .authority,
'
tKlow~ 4h& m& of,: a- Subdivisional W c e r , as .- MzgwWe. may be authorised by him in that behaIf.
P O W C ~ to 7 Thq- State Gbvernmcnt 'may make rules for
make r u b . the purpose of -cmying out the provisions of this
, , " . . . .- . - .
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