SC Status Not Available To Those Who Convert To Christianity: Madurai Bench Of Madras High Court
The Supreme Court has also stated that a person loses their status as a member of a Scheduled Caste community by converting to Christianity.
Published : September 2, 2026 at 11:03 PM IST
Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has categorically stated that persons who convert to Christianity will lose their Scheduled Caste status and will not be able to claim legal protection under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In a petition filed by Ravikumar, a resident of Thenkarai in Theni district, he alleged that the principal of the school where he worked had humiliated him on the basis of caste and that he was transferred to another educational institution as a revenge.
He also claimed that he belongs to the Hindu Adi Dravidian community and demanded that the police be ordered to take action against the school administration under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act.
The case came up for hearing before Justice L. Victoria Gowri. At that time, important documents were filed by the school administration. In it, it was stated that the petitioner was baptized in a church in Usilampatti in 2015 and continues to follow the Christian religion. Subsequently, the school administration argued that the petitioner had concealed the information regarding his religious conversion and filed it stating that he was a Hindu Adi Dravidian.
Considering the arguments, the judge noted that under the Constitution, recognition of the Scheduled Caste community is given only to people belonging to specific religions.
The judgment also clarified that once a person converts to Christianity and starts following that religion, he cannot claim special legal protections for the SC community on the basis of his previous Scheduled Caste status. Accordingly, the court declared that it would dismiss the petition filed by Ravikumar.
Similarly, his petition seeking action against the school administration under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act was also not accepted.
The Supreme Court verdict is also upheld.
The Supreme Court has also confirmed the same legal principle in its judgment delivered on March 24, 2026. That is, the Supreme Court has stated that by converting to Christianity, a person loses the status of a member of the Scheduled Caste community and in the absence of that basic status, the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act cannot be applied. Thus, this ruling by the Madurai Bench of the High Court has assumed significance in the legal issue of continuing to claim SC status even after conversion.
