KAILASH SONKAR vs SMT. MAYA DEVI

The Supreme Court held that a Hindu who converts to another religion loses their original caste unless the new religion allows for the retention of caste and family laws. The Court clarified that upon reconversion to Hinduism, the original caste can revive, depending on various factors. In this case, the respondent, born to Christian parents but claiming to belong to the scheduled caste 'Katia', was accepted by the community after reconversion and marriage according to Hindu rites. The Court dismissed the appeal, affirming that the respondent was indeed a member of the Katia caste at the time of her nomination for the elections.