Supreme Court Rejects Review, Reaffirms Conversion To Christianity Ends Scheduled Caste Status

The Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan said it had examined the review petition and found no error warranting interference with its earlier decision.

“We have gone through the Review Petition and perused the judgment dated 24.03.2026 which has been sought to be reviewed. There is no error apparent on the record,” the Bench observed.

The Court also rejected the review petitioner's application seeking an oral hearing.

By dismissing the review petition, the Supreme Court allowed its March 2026 ruling to attain finality.

In that judgment, the Court had held that a person who converts to Christianity or any religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism immediately ceases to enjoy Scheduled Caste status under the law.

However, the Bench clarified that such a person may regain Scheduled Caste status upon reconversion to Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism, subject to strict conditions.

The Court held that a claimant seeking restoration of Scheduled Caste status must establish:

-That they were originally born into a caste notified as a Scheduled Caste;

-That they have genuinely reconverted to Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism and completely renounced the religion previously professed; and

-That members of their original caste community have accepted them back into the community.

The Court had made it clear that failure to satisfy even one of these conditions would defeat the claim for restoration of Scheduled Caste status.

Background of the Case

The dispute arose from Andhra Pradesh after a man, who was born into a Scheduled Caste but later converted to Christianity and became a pastor, lodged an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 alleging that he had been abused by his caste name and criminally intimidated.

The accused challenged the FIR before the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which quashed the proceedings after holding that the complainant, having embraced Christianity, could not claim Scheduled Caste status in law and, consequently, the protection of the SC/ST Act.

The complainant subsequently approached the Supreme Court.

In its March 2026 judgment, the Supreme Court had upheld the High Court's decision, ruling that a person professing Christianity cannot claim the benefits or protections available to Scheduled Castes under the Constitution and the SC/ST Act, as Scheduled Caste status is statutorily confined to persons professing Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism.

At the same time, the Court had recognised that a person who subsequently reconverts to one of these three religions may reclaim Scheduled Caste status, provided the conditions prescribed in the judgment are fulfilled.

An FIR was registered on his complaint. However, the accused approached the High Court seeking quashing of the case, contending that Anand, having converted to Christianity and functioning as a pastor, was no longer entitled to claim Scheduled Caste status. Accepting this argument, the High Court quashed the FIR, holding that caste distinctions are not recognised within Christianity and that conversion disentitles a person from invoking protections available to Scheduled Castes.

Affirming the High Court’s view, the Supreme Court relied on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, which restricts SC status to persons professing Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism.

The Bench had clarified that the bar under Clause 3 of the 1950 Order is absolute. “No statutory benefit, protection or reservation… 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,” the Court observed.