Overview

• The Supreme Court quashed the Kerala High Court's 2023 judgment disqualifying CPI(M) MLA A. Raja from the Devikulam Assembly seat reserved for the Scheduled Caste community.
• The court ruled that observing religious rituals does not equate to professing a different faith, affirming Raja's status as a member of the Hindu Parayan caste.
• Raja is reinstated as an MLA with all legislative benefits restored, including allowances withheld during the legal dispute.
• The judgment clarifies that challenges to caste certificates must follow statutory procedures, rejecting the High Court's reliance on circumstantial evidence like church records and photographs.
• The ruling sets a precedent for interpreting caste eligibility and religious identity in reservation-based electoral cases.