Supreme Court: Conversion to Christianity Ends Scheduled Caste Status

March 24, 2026: The Supreme Court on March 24 affirmed the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s ruling that a person who converts to Christianity and continues to profess and practice the faith cannot be considered a member of a Scheduled Caste. It reiterated that individuals who follow religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism are not eligible for Scheduled Caste status, adding that conversion to any other religion leads to an immediate and complete loss of such status.

The Court observed that this position is clearly laid down in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, noting that the restriction under the Order is absolute. It clarified that conversion to a religion not listed in Clause 3 results in the automatic loss of Scheduled Caste recognition, irrespective of one’s birth. It further emphasized: "No statutory benefit, protection or reservation or entitlement under the Constitution or enactment of Parliament or state legislature can be claimed by or extended to any person who, by operation of clause 3, is not deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste. This bar is absolute and admits no exception. A person can't simultaneously profess and practice a religion other than the one specified in clause 3 and claim membership of the Scheduled caste."

The ruling arose from a case involving a man who had converted to Christianity and was serving as a pastor but had filed a complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleging assault and threats. The accused challenged the complaint, arguing that it was legally untenable since the complainant, having converted, could not claim Scheduled Caste status.

In its earlier order dated April 30, 2025, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had held that the caste system does not apply within Christianity and therefore a convert could not invoke protections under the SC/ST Act. Justice Harinath N had quashed the charges filed by the complainant, leading the pastor to approach the Supreme Court through a special leave petition.

Hearing the matter, a bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan noted: "In the present case, it is not the case of the petitioner that he re-converted from Christianity to his original religion or has been accepted back in the folds of the Madiga community. On the contrary, the evidence establishes that the appellant continued to profess Christianity and has been functioning as a pastor for more than a decade, conducting regular Sunday prayers at the houses of the village. It is also admitted that at the time of the alleged incident, he was conducting prayer meetings at the house. These concurrent facts leave no room for doubt that he continued to remain a Christian on the date of the occurrence."

The case originated from a criminal petition in which the accused faced charges under provisions of the SC/ST Act as well as sections of the Indian Penal Code related to wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, and assault. The complainant, a pastor conducting prayer services in Pittalavanipalem village, had alleged repeated attacks, threats to his life and family, and caste-based abuse.

After the investigation concluded and a chargesheet was filed, the accused approached the High Court seeking to quash the case, contending that the invocation of the SC/ST Act was invalid due to the complainant’s conversion. The petitioner relied on the 1950 Order, which states that individuals professing religions other than Hinduism cannot be treated as members of a Scheduled Caste.

The respondents, however, argued that the complainant was entitled to protection under the law, citing witness statements and a caste certificate issued by the local Tahsildar confirming his Scheduled Caste status as belonging to the Hindu Madiga community.

Addressing this, the Court stated that the validity or cancellation of a caste certificate falls under the jurisdiction of the relevant authority as per the Andhra Pradesh law governing community certificates. However, it clarified that the mere existence of an uncancelled caste certificate does not entitle a person to claim protections under the SC/ST Act after conversion.

Courtesy: LiveLaw