- Supreme Court rules SC rights only for Hindu Sikh Buddhist
- SC rights revoked after conversion to Christianity says court
Hyderabad, March 24: The Supreme Court has ruled that those who convert to Christianity cannot claim Scheduled Caste rights. The court made this clear while issuing final orders in a case related to the Atrocities Act after religious conversion.
The apex court stated that only Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs are eligible for SC rights. It upheld the earlier judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The case was filed by Chintadaz Anand, who challenged the High Court’s verdict.
Meanwhile, the dispute began in Pittalavanipalem in Bapatla district. Locals, including Akkala Ramireddy, objected to Pastor Chintadaz Anand running a church without permission. Anand then filed a case against them under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.
However, Ramireddy and others approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking dismissal of the case. Their lawyers argued that Anand had converted to Christianity and worked as a pastor. Therefore, they said he no longer belonged to the Scheduled Caste category.
They further argued that, under the Constitution, there is no caste system in Christianity. Although Anand was a Hindu by birth, he did not belong to the Scheduled Caste after conversion. Hence, they claimed the Atrocities Act provisions did not apply and the complaint was not maintainable.
The High Court accepted these arguments. It stated that only people from Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist religions are eligible for SC rights. It also noted that there is no caste system in Christianity. Anand later challenged this decision in the Supreme Court.
A bench of Justices PK Mishra and Anjaria heard the matter. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s judgment. It clarified that SC status will be revoked if a person changes religion. It also ruled that a person who converts to Christianity and works as a pastor cannot seek protection under the SC and ST Act.
Furthermore, the bench stated that even if a caste certificate is not formally revoked, legal protection under the Act will not apply after conversion. It noted that Pastor Anand had been a Christian for more than a decade and had not converted back.
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