In a written petition submitted on December 12, the Supreme Court was told that women and children are the main targets of foreign-funded religious conversion in the country and the Centre and state governments have failed to take appropriate steps to check it.

“Petitioner submits that women and children are the main target of foreign funded missionaries and conversion groups but the Centre and the States have not taken appropriate steps to control religious conversion in the spirit of Article 15(3). The situation is alarming as many individuals and organizations are carrying mass conversion of socially and economically underprivileged and SCs-STs either by use of force or by allurement thus exploiting their poverty,” the petition stated.

A legal vacuum on the subject has allowed the use of unethical predatory conversion strategies to convert the country’s socially and economically underprivileged citizens, the petition further said.

The petitioner has sought various reliefs including a review of the rules made under the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) for foreign-funded NGOs and individuals to curb alleged activities related to religious conversions.

The plea also sought stringent steps to control funding through hawala and other routes to further religious conversions.

“Call upon the Law Commission of India to suggest suitable legislation and Guidelines to check unlawful fraudulent religious conversion,” the petition stated.

The plea also sought a direction to the Centre and states to take steps to confiscate Benami properties and disproportionate assets of persons and institutions involved in fraudulent religious conversion.

The petition was submitted before a bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar which is hearing a plea against religious conversions filed by Senior Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.