Supreme Court Calls Minority Claim After Religious Conversion a “New Type of Fraud”
The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over a case where a man from an upper-caste Hindu background sought minority reservation after converting to Buddhism. The Court described the attempt as a “new type of fraud” and questioned whether such claims are legally valid.
The matter came up before a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a petition filed by Nikhil Kumar Punia. The petitioner had sought admission by claiming minority status following his conversion to Buddhism.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned the petitioner’s caste background. When it was clarified that he belonged to the Jaat Punia community, the Bench expressed surprise over how minority status was being claimed. The counsel argued that conversion to Buddhism was a constitutional right.
Reacting sharply, the Chief Justice remarked that this appeared to be a misuse of the reservation system and termed it a “new type of fraud.”
The Court then directed the Haryana government to clarify the rules governing the issuance of minority certificates. It specifically asked whether upper-caste candidates, who had earlier declared themselves as part of the general category and were not economically weaker, could later claim minority status after conversion.
The Chief Secretary of Haryana has been asked to submit details of the existing guidelines and explain whether such certificates can legally be issued in such circumstances. The matter will be examined further by the Court.
