Authorities must show leniency while asking members of SC/ST communities to prove their caste status: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has ruled that authorities should exercise leniency when verifying the caste status of individuals from SC/ST communities. The court emphasized that such verification should consider broader social circumstances rather than relying solely on rigid, adversarial evidence.
Why it matters
This ruling provides significant legal protection for marginalized communities, preventing the potential loss of constitutionally guaranteed benefits due to overly bureaucratic or punitive verification processes.
While scrutinising caste status, the authorities must adopt a lenient approach and not expect a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) member to prove their case like an ordinary citizen, observed the Kerala High Court.
The Division Bench of Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and A.K. Preetha held that the authorities should look at the overall circumstances, including the extension of social security benefits to other family members and extended family.
V. Balan of Thrissur, a retired postal assistant, had approached the Division Bench challenging the order of a Single Bench, which had held that he had not provided enough evidence to back his claims regarding his caste status.
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