The Supreme Court of India has taken over the task of examining the constitutional validity of state laws that regulate religious conversion, withdrawing related cases from several High Courts and consolidating them before itself. The Bench of Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran issued the order while hearing a batch of petitions, the most prominent being Citizens for Justice and Peace v. State of Uttar Pradesh.

The petitioners have challenged these statutes on the ground that they impose disproportionate restrictions on individual liberty, pointing to provisions that prescribe harsh minimum sentences of up to 20 years, reverse the burden of proof, and create hurdles for bail—particularly where interfaith marriages are involved.

The State of Madhya Pradesh, represented by Additional Solicitor General K. M. Natraj, raised no objection to the transfer of cases to the Supreme Court. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising pressed the Court to take a uniform view across states, noting that the issues raised are constitutional in nature and therefore demand consistency. The Bench also considered a plea seeking a stay on the operation of these laws but decided to defer that question, directing that it will be revisited in six weeks.

During the proceedings, petitioners drew attention to the Uttar Pradesh law, which was described as especially stringent owing to its severe minimum punishment, difficult bail conditions, and the shifting of the evidentiary burden onto the accused.

Senior Advocate C. U. Singh further submitted that more states have recently enacted similar legislation, and that reports of harassment under these provisions are increasing. The Court has called for responses from the states concerned, and will next hear the matter after six weeks, when it may also address whether to suspend the operation of the laws while the constitutional challenge is pending.3

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