- The Supreme Court upheld that conversion to Christianity loses the Scheduled Caste status immediately
- Only followers of Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism are eligible for Scheduled Caste status
- A converted pastor’s complaint under SC/ST Act was dismissed due to his Christian faith
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court that a person who converts to Christianity and continues to profess and practise the faith cannot be treated as a member of a Scheduled Caste.
The top court made it clear that individuals who follow religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism are not eligible for Scheduled Caste status. It said conversion to any other religion leads to the immediate and complete loss of such status.
Referring to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, the court said the restriction is "absolute" and leaves no scope for exceptions. "No statutory benefit, protection, or reservation can be claimed by a person who is not deemed to be a Scheduled Caste member under the order," the bench said.
"A person cannot simultaneously profess and practise a religion other than the one specified, and claim membership of the Scheduled Caste," the court reiterated.
The verdict came in a case involving a man who had converted to Christianity and was working as a pastor, but had filed a complaint under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act alleging assault and caste-based abuse. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had earlier quashed the charges, observing that the caste system is "alien to Christianity" and that provisions of the SC/ST Act could not be invoked in such a case. This order was challenged before the Supreme Court.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria noted that the petitioner had continued to practise Christianity and had been functioning as a pastor for over a decade, regularly conducting Sunday prayers. It also noted that he was leading a prayer meeting at the time of the alleged incident.
"These facts leave no room for doubt that he continued to remain a Christian on the date of the occurrence," the court said, rejecting his claim for protection under the SC/ST Act.
The court also clarified that merely holding a Scheduled Caste certificate does not automatically entitle a person to protections under the law after conversion. Issues relating to the cancellation of such certificates, it said, must be dealt with by the competent authority under the relevant state law.
The judgment is not related to the broader issue of Dalit Christians, which is still pending. The judgment clarifies that a complaint under the SC/ST Act can only be filed by a person who belongs to the SC/ST community.
