Prayagraj, Dec 2: The Allahabad High Court has instructed the Uttar Pradesh government to launch a comprehensive statewide inquiry to prevent individuals who have converted to Christianity from continuing to receive benefits reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
While issuing the directive, the court described the continuation of SC reservation after conversion as a “fraud on the Constitution,” stressing that caste-based protections are tied to specific religious identities as defined by law.
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The order was delivered by Justice Praveen Kumar Giri, who dismissed a petition filed by Jitendra Sahani. Sahani had sought to quash charges under IPC Sections 153A and 295A for allegedly promoting religious enmity and making derogatory comments about Hindu deities. Although Sahani claimed to be Hindu in his court affidavit, police findings revealed he had embraced Christianity and was serving as a priest. Witness accounts stated he encouraged villagers to convert by ridiculing Hindu beliefs and promising jobs and financial assistance through missionary channels.
Citing the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, Justice Giri reiterated that SC status is limited to those who profess Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist faiths. He also referenced a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming that caste identity, for constitutional purposes, ends upon conversion to Christianity, making any attempt to retain SC benefits thereafter a misuse of policy and contrary to the principles of social justice.
The court further observed that Christian converts are not eligible for SC-based reservations in education or employment, nor can they claim protections under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A previous Andhra Pradesh High Court judgment, which held that caste structures do not exist in Christianity, was also cited.
In a broader directive, the court ordered the Cabinet Secretary of the Government of India, the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and the Principal Secretary of Minorities Welfare to examine and enforce existing provisions to prevent the misuse of SC entitlements by members of minority religions.
Significantly, all District Magistrates in Uttar Pradesh have been directed to verify cases of religious conversion and ensure that SC benefits are withdrawn wherever they are being wrongfully claimed. The verification exercise must be completed within four months, with compliance reports submitted to the Chief Secretary.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
