The Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that people from Scheduled Castes (SC) will lose their SC status as soon as they convert to Christianity. As a result, they will no longer be eligible for the protections provided under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The ruling, made by Justice N Harinath, came after a case was filed by Pastor Chintada Anand from Kothapalem in Guntur district under the SC/ST Act. In January 2021, Anand, who had been serving as a pastor for over 10 years, filed a complaint with the Chandolu police. He accused Akkala Ramireddy and others of using caste-based insults against him. The police then registered a case under the SC/ST Act. However, Ramireddy and the others challenged the case in the High Court, requesting its dismissal. Phani Dutt, the petitioners’ lawyer, argued that Anand, who had converted to Christianity and worked as a pastor for ten years, should no longer be considered a member of the Scheduled Castes (SC) under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. According to the order, individuals from the SC community who choose a religion other than Hinduism lose their SC status.

Anand's lawyer, Eerla Satish Kumar, argued that Anand had a valid SC Hindu caste certificate, which proved his eligibility for the protections under the SC/ST Act. However, Justice Harinath pointed out that converting to Christianity, where caste distinctions don't exist, invalidates his SC status, even if he still holds a caste certificate. The court emphasised that the SC/ST Act was designed to protect communities from discrimination and atrocities, but its protections do not apply to individuals who have changed their religion. The court found that Anand had misused the SC/ST Act by making a false complaint. Witnesses confirmed that he had been a pastor for over ten years, and the court criticised the police for registering the case without properly verifying his background.

Justice Harinath dismissed the case against Ramireddy and others, saying that Anand's complaint did not have a legal basis. The court mentioned that while Anand's caste certificate could be examined by authorities, merely having the certificate did not grant him the protections under the SC/ST Act after his conversion.