Bombay HC: Presence of Holy Cross or Jesus Statue Doesn't Prove Conversion; Restores Scheduled Caste Status

The Bombay High Court, while allowing a writ petition, held that a person cannot be declared Christian just because they have a holy cross, a statue of Jesus, Christian names, or old records with 'Christian' written on them. 

This came up in a case where a man’s claim to belong to a Scheduled Caste ('Mang') was rejected by the Akola Scrutiny Committee, which said his ancestors had become Christians and thus lost that status.

The court said there was no clear proof of formal conversion like Baptism or Christian rites.

Just having religious images or names isn’t enough to prove someone converted to Christianity.

[Stavan Wilson Sathe v. The State of Maharashtra & Ors.]