Scheduled Caste Status Can be Accorded Even After Re-conversion : Supreme Court

27 Feb,New Delhi

The Supreme Court has held that a person can be accorded Scheduled
Caste status on re-conversion to Hinduism, if he is accepted by people
of his caste and he proves that either he, or his forefathers,
previously belonged to that caste, before embracing another religion.

The Apex court’s judgment came Thursday on a plea by K P Manu, a
Kerala resident, who had challenged the Kerala High Court verdict.
Manu was born a Christian, as his grandfather had embraced the
religion after leaving Hinduism, and became a Hindu again at the age
of 24. He was granted an SC certificate of Hindu Pulaya caste, to
which his ancestors belonged.

However, later on a complaint, a scrutiny committee held that he
cannot be treated as a Hindu on the grounds that his forefathers were
Christians and he himself had married a Christian woman.

This finding was affirmed by the High Court as well. On the basis of
the report of the scrutiny committee, the state government directed
the employer of Manu to remove him from service and recover a sum of
15 lakh rupees towards the salary paid to him. However, the Apex court
has set aside the Kerala High Court verdict.