The Supreme Court held  that only individuals belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist religions can be recognised as Scheduled Castes, and that converting to another faith, such as Christianity, leads to the loss of Scheduled Caste status.
 
As a result, the Bench of Justices PK Mishra and Manmohan ruled that a person from a Dalit background who converts to Christianity cannot seek protection under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Bar and Bench reported.

“No person who professes a religion other than Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist shall be a member of Scheduled Caste. Conversion to any other religion results in loss of Scheduled Caste status,” the Court ruled.

The judgment was pronounced in an appeal filed by pastor Chinthada Anand against a May 2025 ruling of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

The judgment was pronounced in an appeal filed by pastor Chinthada Anand against a May 2025 ruling of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Anand alleged that he was subjected to caste-based discrimination and abuse by Akkala Ramireddy and others. He subsequently lodged a complaint under the SC/ST Act, following which the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused.

Ramireddy then moved the High Court seeking to quash the case.

Justice N Harinath dismissed the FIR, ruling that Anand had lost his Scheduled Caste status upon converting to Christianity and, therefore, was not entitled to protection under the SC/ST Act. 

The court further observed that Anand’s possession of an SC certificate was irrelevant, as conversion to a faith where caste distinctions do not exist automatically nullifies Scheduled Caste status.

Subsequently, Anand filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.