The Andhra Pradesh High Court has ruled that individuals who convert to Christianity are not entitled to protection under the SC/ST Act.
The High Court was hearing a case of a petitioner, a pastor belonging to the Scheduled Caste, who alleged he was assaulted by a group of men and faced casteist slurs.
When the pastor moved to the High Court for justice, Justice Harinath, who was presiding over the case, stated that only those who belong to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe can invoke the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He refused the petitioner protection under the Act, stating the former had converted to Christianity a decade ago and was serving as a pastor at the time of the assault, which disqualifies him from being considered a member of the Scheduled Caste.
“Mere non-cancellation of the caste certificate by the authority to a person who has converted into Christianity cannot instill the protection granted under the Protective Legislation,” the judge observed.
Trial deemed unnecessary
The accused contended that the provisions of the SC/ST Act were not applicable in this instance, and the Court concurred. It also found that the IPC charges lacked supporting evidence.
The Court concluded that the complaint appeared to be false and deemed it unnecessary to subject the petitioners to the ordeal of a full trial in the lower court.
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