Bombay High Court: Picture of Christ in house doesn’t mean person converted
x
00:00
1x1.5x1.8x
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court recently observed that a person having a picture of Jesus Christ in the house would not strictly mean that he/she has converted to Christianity.
The Court made observations while allowing plea by a minor girl against a decision of District Caste Scrutiny Committee (DCSC) rejecting her claim that she belonged to Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
A bench of Justices Prithviraj K Chavan and Urmila Joshi-Phalke was told by the petitioner minor girl in a plea filed through her father that the picture had been gifted by someone and therefore it was displayed in the house.
The committee had come to its decision in September, last year, after Vigilance Cell found a picture of Jesus Christ in the petitioner’s house during a visit.
“Merely because the officer of the Vigilance Cell, during his visit to the house of the petitioner, noticed a photograph of Lord Jesus Christ, he assumed that the petitioner’s family professes Christian religion. No sane man/woman will accept or believe that merely because there is a photograph of Jesus Christ in the house would ipso facto mean that a person had converted himself/herself into Christianity,” the bench noted.
The petitioner passed her Class 12 examination and had cleared the State Common Entrance Test. She claimed to be a practising Buddhist and sought that she be granted certificate of “Mahar” caste to be recognised as member of the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
The HC observed that there was “no shred of evidence” to prove that the father or grandfather of the petitioner had undergone baptism to convert to Christianity. It noted that traditional occupation of the petitioner’s family was labour work and the marriages in the family were performed as per Buddhist rituals.
Story continues below this ad
Refusing to accept Vigilance Cell’s report, the bench noted, “This so called report of the vigilance officer merits to be discarded at the threshold being a figment of his imagination, more particularly in light of Buddhism being followed by petitioner’s family sans any material to contradict the claim of the petitioner.”
The bench asked the Committee to issue a certificate within two weeks from the date of order that she belonged to the “Mahar” caste.
Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.
Expertise & Authority
Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.
Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:
Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:
Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).
Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).
Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.
Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.
Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges.
Omkar Gokhale's consistent, focused reporting on the judiciary establishes him as a definitive and authoritative voice for legal developments originating from Mumbai and impacting the entire state of Maharashtra. ... Read More
