Pune police have used Maharashtra’s new anti-conversion statute for the first time, filing two separate cases within a week of the law taking effect — a fast-moving development that could shape how local authorities handle religious activity, outreach and child protection going forward. The complaints, lodged in early August, involve markedly different circumstances: one alleges attempts to convert a minor plus sexual harassment; the other targets a visiting religious speaker with Overseas Citizen of India ties.
On August 5 the Phursungi police registered a case against a 21-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh who reportedly befriended a minor after arriving in Pune, took her to another state and is accused of trying to change her religion. The complaint also invokes the POSCO Act for alleged sexual harassment of the underage girl, tying the new conversion law to existing safeguards for children.
Four days later, on August 9, the Khadak police filed the second FIR under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. The accused is a 22-year-old preacher from Manchester who holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. The case stems from a religious event in Guruwar Peth on August 7; an attendee later filed a complaint saying the programme used forms familiar to Hindu gatherings while promoting a different faith.
OCI booked in Pune as Maharashtra’s new conversion law takes effect
Sunil Lahri: Gen Z and Gen Alpha labels widen cultural gap, wants gurukul values in schools
- Aug 1 — The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 came into force.
- Aug 5 — Phursungi police register case against a 21-year-old for alleged conversion attempt of a minor and sexual harassment (POSCO invoked).
- Aug 7 — Religious event held in Guruwar Peth attended by about 80 people, according to the FIR.
- Aug 9 — Khadak police file FIR against a UK-based preacher (also an OCI cardholder); organiser and 12 trustees of the venue are also named.
- Shortly after — The UK national sought anticipatory bail in the sessions court; a hearing is scheduled in the coming days.
Police said the complainant in the Guruwar Peth matter — an autorickshaw driver who came across the programme on social media — attended the event and lodged a statement the same week. Authorities recorded his account that although the programme appeared in the style of a traditional kirtan, the speaker delivered messages aligned with another religion; that alleged approach is central to the conversion charge.
Legal and civic stakes
The rapid use of the new law raises several immediate questions for courts and communities: how will prosecutors prove “conversion” under the statute, how will gatherings be assessed when cultural forms overlap, and what standards will apply to non-resident or dual-status visitors such as OCI cardholders?
Experts say the interplay between the conversion statute and child-protection laws makes the first case particularly consequential. If authorities successfully link alleged inducement with a POSCO violation, it could set a precedent for treating recruitment of minors as a distinct aggravating factor.
At the same time, legal counsel for the Manchester-based preacher has argued that the FIR does not meet the statutory requirements for the offences invoked and sought pre-arrest relief in the sessions court. The petition was filed by two advocates and will be considered by an additional sessions judge later this week.
For residents and religious institutions, these initial prosecutions underscore how social media can trigger scrutiny: public posts about programs — and attendees who follow up — have been a catalyst in both complaints. Authorities will now contend with balancing freedom of religion, procedural standards for criminal accusations, and community tensions that may follow high-profile charges.
Police officials in Zone I described the filings as part of regular law enforcement following complainants’ statements; courts will determine whether the allegations fulfil the legal thresholds established by the new act and related statutes. The upcoming hearings are likely to clarify how strictly the law will be applied and what evidence will be required to sustain such charges.
