The Madras High Court has set aside an order rejecting the Scheduled Caste community certificate of a Customs Department officer, observing that a person’s complexion, height, physical build, language or hair cannot by themselves establish whether he follows Christianity.
Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the order on September 11, 2026. The Court directed the District Level Vigilance Committee to reconsider Ravikumar’s claim after giving him a personal hearing.
Background
Ravikumar’s father originally belonged to the Hindu Adi Dravidar community but converted to Christianity in 1960. Ravikumar was born in 1966. According to his case, he and his father later reconverted to Hinduism in 1983 at an Arya Samaj centre in Chennai.
In 1986, Ravikumar was issued a community certificate identifying him as a Hindu Adi Dravidar. He subsequently joined the Customs Department and was serving as an Assistant Commissioner when the genuineness of his certificate was examined shortly before his retirement.
The Vigilance Committee rejected the certificate on May 4, 2026. Among its considerations were the burial of Ravikumar’s father in a Christian cemetery and its conclusion that Ravikumar had not been accepted back into the Adi Dravidar community after reconversion.
The Committee also referred to Ravikumar and his family being fair in complexion, tall, well-built, speaking Tamil and English and having curly hair.
The High Court found that some matters considered by the Committee could be relevant, but several findings lacked adequate reasons or were based on irrelevant considerations.
The Court particularly questioned the reliance on physical appearance and language while determining religious practice.
“The reasoning that the petitioner and his family members are very fair in colour, they are tall and having good physique and speak Tamil and English and have curly hair, may not have any relevance.”
The Court also noted that the Committee had relied on a 1994 ration card to state that Ravikumar’s daughter was Christian. However, Ravikumar’s case was that he married only on September 15, 1994, while his first daughter was born on November 10, 1998. The Court found that particular finding unsustainable.
The Court referred to the Supreme Court’s decision in K.P. Manu v. Chairman, Scrutiny Committee for Verification of Community Certificate, concerning persons born after their parents converted from Hinduism to Christianity and who later embraced Hinduism.
The Madras High Court noted that acceptance by members of the original caste is relevant after reconversion. It found that the Committee had not provided concrete reasons or facts for its conclusion that Ravikumar had not been accepted by the community.
The High Court set aside the Vigilance Committee’s May 4, 2026 order. It directed the Committee to provide Ravikumar a personal hearing and allowed him four weeks to submit documents, photographs and other material supporting his claim.
The Committee was directed to reconsider the matter and pass a fresh order within eight weeks after Ravikumar’s appearance.
Case Details
- Case Title: M. Ravikumar v. District Level Vigilance Committee & Ors.
- Case Number: W.P. No. 32793 of 2026
- Judge: Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy
- Decision Date: 11 September 2026
