Allahabad High Court Rules Caste Identity by Birth Remains Unchanged by Marriage or Conversion

Prayagraj, February 13, 2026: In a significant judgment clarifying the legal status of caste identity, the Allahabad High Court has held that caste determined by birth does not change due to inter-caste marriage or religious conversion. The ruling came while dismissing a criminal appeal challenging proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The case arose from an appeal filed by Dinesh and eight others against an order passed by a Special Judge in Aligarh, who had summoned them to face trial under the SC/ST Act. The appellants argued that the complainant, a woman born into a Scheduled Caste, had married a man from the Jat community and therefore could no longer claim protection under the provisions of the Act.

Rejecting the contention, the High Court observed that caste is intrinsically linked to birth and cannot be altered by marriage. The bench further ruled that conversion to another religion does not efface or modify the caste identity assigned at birth for the purposes of statutory safeguards.

In its reasoning, the Court emphasised that social identity rooted in birth continues to carry legal relevance, particularly in the context of protective legislation enacted to address historical discrimination and social injustice.

Upholding the order summoning the accused to trial, the Court dismissed the appeal and reaffirmed that protections under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act cannot be denied solely on the basis of inter-caste marriage or religious conversion.

The judgment reinforces the continuity of legal safeguards tied to caste by birth, underscoring the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of laws designed to protect vulnerable communities.

Courtesy: LiveLaw