A member of the Scheduled Castes who converts to a different religion, other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism, loses her/his SC standing and can’t benefit from the protections assured below the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Supreme Court docket dominated on Tuesday.
Upholding the Andhra Pradesh Excessive Court docket verdict, the bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice NV Anjaria ordered that changing to the Christian religion would entail dropping SC standing.
The Court docket was listening to an attraction by pastor Chinthada Anand, who challenged a Might 2025 ruling of the Andhra Pradesh Excessive Court docket. Anand had invoked provisions of the SC/ST Act after he was allegedly abused to caste slurs. Although an FIR was filed within the case, the accused individuals moved the Excessive Court docket searching for quashing of the grievance on the grounds that he had transformed to Christianity and was a pastor, thus not entitled to SC/ST Act protections.
The Excessive Court docket quashed the grievance and held that Christianity doesn’t heed the caste system and since Anand had transformed, he couldn’t invoke the SC/ST Act.
The Supreme Court docket bench stated the Structure (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, Clause 3 restricts SC standing to Hindus, Sikhs or Buddhists.
Any one that as per Clause 3 will not be a Scheduled Caste can’t declare advantages, safety or reservation meant for the Scheduled Castes, the bench stated.
The Court docket stated since Anand was a Christian pastor holding prayer conferences on the time of the alleged offence, he couldn’t invoke statutory safety.
Dismissing Anand’s SC certificates, the Court docket stated holding the doc doesn’t confer entitlement to SC advantages after conversion. Its validity needs to be examined although it doesn’t overrule Clause 3 of the 1950 Order.
