THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, March 24: The Supreme Court has ruled that a person who converts to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism loses Scheduled Caste (SC) status and cannot claim protection under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The ruling came in the case of Chinthada Anand vs State of Andhra Pradesh, where the petitioner challenged an Andhra Pradesh High Court order.
SC Status Lost Immediately After Conversion
A bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan held that under Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, only persons professing Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism can be recognised as Scheduled Castes.
The Court clarified:
- Conversion to any other religion leads to immediate loss of SC status
- This applies regardless of birth or caste background
- The legal bar is absolute and has no exceptions
It stressed that a person cannot practice another religion and still claim SC status at the same time.
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No Protection Under SC/ST Act
The Court held that once SC status is lost, the individual cannot claim:
- Reservation benefits
- Legal protections
- Relief under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
“No statutory benefit… can be claimed by a person who is not deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste,” the Court observed.
Case Involved Pastor Filing Atrocities Complaint
The case arose when Chinthada Anand, who had converted to Christianity and was working as a pastor, filed a complaint alleging assault, threats, and caste-based abuse.
The accused challenged the complaint, arguing that Anand could not invoke the SC/ST Act since he was no longer a Scheduled Caste member.
High Court Decision Upheld
The Andhra Pradesh High Court had quashed the case in April 2025, holding that caste does not apply within Christianity and therefore the SC/ST Act could not be invoked.
The Supreme Court upheld this decision and dismissed Anand’s plea.
Court Relies on Evidence of Religious Practice
The Court noted that Chinthada Anand:
- Continued to practice Christianity
- Had been serving as a pastor for over a decade
- Conducted regular prayer meetings
Based on these facts, the Court concluded that he remained a Christian at the time of the incident and had lost SC status.
Caste Certificate Not Sufficient
On the issue of Anand holding a caste certificate, the Court said:
- Mere possession of a caste certificate does not restore SC status after conversion
- Such issues must be decided under relevant state laws
However, it cannot be used to claim protection under the SC/ST Act.
Legal Background
The case involved charges under:
- Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(va) of the SC/ST Act
- Sections 341, 323, 506 read with 34 of IPC
The High Court had quashed these charges, and the Supreme Court has now confirmed that decision.
Final Verdict
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by Chinthada Anand and upheld the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling, reinforcing that conversion outside specified religions results in complete loss of Scheduled Caste status and related legal protections.
