The Supreme Court has ruled that a person who has converted to Christianity cannot claim protection under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, holding that conversion results in the loss of Scheduled Caste status under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
The bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan dismissed a criminal appeal challenging the quashing of proceedings against several accused persons.
The appellant, Chinthada Anand, a resident of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, claimed to belong to the Madiga community, a notified Scheduled Caste. He alleged that he was assaulted, wrongfully restrained, and subjected to caste-based abuse in January 2021 while conducting Sunday prayer meetings as a Pastor.
Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered under provisions of the SC/ST Act as well as Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed the proceedings in 2025, holding that the appellant, having converted to Christianity and serving as a Pastor for over a decade, could not invoke protections under the SC/ST Act.
The central question before the Supreme Court was whether a person born into a Scheduled Caste retains that status after converting to Christianity, and whether such a person can invoke statutory protections under the SC/ST Act.
The Court upheld the High Court’s ruling, emphasizing that the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 clearly restricts Scheduled Caste status to persons professing Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism.
It noted that the term “professes” implies a public declaration or practice of a religion. Since the appellant had been openly functioning as a Christian Pastor for years, he was deemed to be professing Christianity.
The Bench held that conversion to Christianity leads to loss of Scheduled Caste status, irrespective of caste by birth. A person cannot simultaneously claim SC status and profess a religion not recognized under the 1950 Order. Statutory protections under the SC/ST Act are available only to legally recognized members of Scheduled Castes or Tribes.
The Court also rejected reliance on a state government order extending certain benefits to converted individuals, clarifying that such executive instructions cannot override the Presidential Order or extend statutory protections.
The Court further upheld the quashing of charges under the Indian Penal Code, observing that allegations were largely uncorroborated by independent witnesses. Key witnesses did not support claims of assault or wrongful restraint. Evidence did not establish a prima facie case even if taken at face value.
The Court held that continuing the trial would amount to an abuse of the process of law.
The Supreme Court affirmed that the appellant, having converted to Christianity and not reconverted, was not entitled to invoke the SC/ST Act. It also found no merit in the criminal allegations under the IPC.
Case Details
Case Title: Chinthada Anand Versus State Of Andhra Pradesh And Others
Citation: JURISHOUR-482-SC-2026
Case No.: Criminal Appeal No. 1580 Of 2026
Date: 24/03/2026
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