Rashtra Jyoti Questions Arrested Pastor’s Hindu Claim for Quota, NHRC Orders Probe

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh: The National Human Rights Commission has directed the District Magistrate of Ghaziabad to examine whether a man arrested for alleged involvement in illegal religious conversion of Hindus is improperly holding a Scheduled Caste certificate, despite reportedly converting to Christianity.

The directive follows a joint complaint by Bhupendra Singh Jatav, a Dalit rights activist, and Agni Samaj, a socio-religious organization.

The complainants alleged that the accused, identified as Premchand, continues to hold a caste certificate meant for historically disadvantaged communities, despite no longer adhering to the faith specified under India’s constitutional guidelines for SC status.

The police case against Premchand

Premchand was arrested on June 15 by Ghaziabad police alongside a Kerala-based pastor, Vinod Mohan Kunj, under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

The two men were named in an FIR (number 199) filed at the Crossing Republic Police Station, which alleged they organized religious conversion meetings disguised as Sunday prayers.

See the complaint by activist Prabal Gupta in the FIR below:

Complaint by Agni Samaj and Vishwa Dalit Parishad

The complaint by Agni Samaj and Bhupendra Singh Jatav argues that continuing to avail government benefits meant for SC individuals after converting to Christianity violates both the letter and spirit of the law. Under Paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, SC status is reserved for individuals who profess Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism.

Photographs submitted to the Commission show a Christian cross at Premchand’s residence, which neighbours referred to as a ‘church’, as found in a ground visit by Swati Goel Sharma, editor of Rashtra Jyoti.

The complaint sad that as per neighbours, 30 to 35 people regularly gathered there for weekly prayers.

What NHRC notice says

In a notice issued on 26 June under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the Commission cited potential constitutional and legal violations and asked the DM to submit an action-taken report within 15 days. “This is a test of institutional accountability,” said Swati.

Bhupendra Singh Jatav added, “If someone has changed their religion, they cannot continue to claim benefits tied to Scheduled Caste identity.”

Legal precedent in India has repeatedly upheld this principle. In May 2025, the Andhra Pradesh high court ruled similarly in a case involving Pastor Chintada Anand from Guntur. Anand, a Christian preacher for over a decade, had filed a complaint under the SC/ST Act.

The court dismissed it, holding that he had misused the SC status after religious conversion. The Commission’s directive comes amid growing scrutiny of so-called ‘crypto-conversion’ cases, in which individuals covertly adopt new religions while maintaining official caste-based entitlements.

See a part of the NHRC notice below: