New Delhi, 26 August 2025: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India on August 26 upheld the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s ruling quashing an SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act case filed by a Christian pastor from Guntur district. The apex court also dismissed petitions filed by pastors challenging the High Court’s order.
Prashant Kumar Mishra, the Supreme court judge, reportedly remarked, “Even after conversion, these (Christian Missionaries) people maintain an artificial attachment to caste for several benefits. We are dismissing this Special Leave Petition (SLP) and will issue a detailed order following the judgement.”
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The case dates back to 30 April 2024, when the Andhra Pradesh High Court, led by Justice Harinath N, set aside proceedings in Spl. SC No. 36 of 2021 arising from a complaint by Pastor Chintada Anand Paul of Pittalavanipalem village. The High Court quashed the case under the SC/ST Act and related IPC sections, observing that the complainant, being a Christian pastor, could not invoke Scheduled Caste protections as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, which extends only to Hindus.
Pastor Anand Paul, who had served in the ministry for over a decade, alleged that he was abused with caste slurs, threatened over phone calls in December 2020, and physically assaulted during prayer gatherings in January 2021. His complaint, filed on 26 January 2021, led to an investigation, witness depositions, and a medical report citing minor injuries.
The accused petitioners argued that the complainant’s role as a pastor and Treasurer of the Pastors Fellowship established his Christian faith, disqualifying him from SC/ST Act benefits. They relied on earlier precedents, including Chinni Appa Rao vs. State of A.P. (2016), which bars Christian converts from invoking the Act.
The complainant countered with a caste certificate claiming Hindu-Madiga status and urged a trial based on witness testimony. However, the High Court ruled that his caste certificate held no weight under the SC/ST Act once he had embraced Christianity. Further, most witnesses did not corroborate the alleged mob attack, leading the court to conclude that the case lacked evidence for trial.
With the Supreme Court’s affirmation today, the ruling stands as a significant clarification that conversion to Christianity disqualifies individuals from SC/ST Act protections, while also underscoring the need for solid evidence in criminal cases under special laws.
Speaking to Organiser, A.S. Santosh, General Secretary of the Legal Rights Protection Forum, said,
“This verdict was long overdue. Unfortunately, converted Christians, their patrons, and the entire Christian ecosystem thrived under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, threatening Hindus who questioned their motives or resisted forced and lured religious conversions, often involving trespassing into their villages or localities.
This judgement is most welcome, and the entire country must take note of it, ensuring that such intimidation will finally be curtailed.
For over three decades, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, known as the SC/ST Act, has instilled fear among Hindus in rural areas of states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This fear arose from the misuse of the Act by certain Christian pastors engaged in conversion activities, who wielded it as a tool to intimidate and silence those who dared to question or oppose them. This ruling therefore carries wider consequences, restoring confidence in the legal system and offering long-awaited relief to vulnerable communities.”
