The Supreme Court has ruled that conversion to Christianity and other religions results in the loss of Scheduled Caste (SC) status, holding that individuals who profess a faith other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism cannot claim constitutional protections available to SC members.
The court upheld an Andhra Pradesh high court judgment, stating that once an individual voluntarily converts and actively practices another faith, legal entitlements tied to SC identity cease to apply.
The ruling arose from a case involving a pastor from Andhra Pradesh who invoked the SC/ST Act, alleging assault and caste-based abuse. The accused challenged the proceedings, arguing that the complainant had converted to Christianity and was no longer eligible for SC protections.
The Supreme Court noted that the complainant had been practising Christianity for over a decade and regularly conducting prayer meetings as a pastor, making him ineligible for SC status and the protections flowing from it.
The decision effectively endorses the Andhra Pradesh high court's ruling, which held that the caste system is alien to Christianity and that individuals who have voluntarily converted cannot seek the benefit of a law designed to address caste-based discrimination within the Hindu social structure.
