Recently, the Allahabad High Court delivered a powerful ruling against the persistence of caste identifiers in official records and public life, holding that such practices contradict the core values of the Constitution.
Justice Vinod Diwakar, while hearing a petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, observed that recording caste in FIRs, recovery memos, and police documents amounts to unlawful profiling. The Court said such conduct “corrupts public opinion, reinforces prejudice, and erodes constitutional morality,” stressing that identity in a democracy must be defined by citizenship, not by lineage.
Rejecting the justification offered by the State police that caste references help avoid confusion, the Court labelled the reasoning outdated, especially when modern identifiers such as Aadhaar, mobile numbers, and biometrics are available. The Court went on to criticise the police leadership for showing detachment from constitutional values and persisting with archaic formats despite judicial directions to the contrary.
The bench directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to undertake immediate reforms, including:
-
Deleting caste columns from FIRs, arrest and surrender memos, recovery documents, and final reports.
-
Using parental details, including the mother’s name, as a mode of identification in official records.
-
Amending motor vehicle regulations to prohibit caste slogans or emblems on vehicles.
-
Ensuring removal of caste-marked signboards declaring villages, towns, or colonies as caste territories.
-
Establishing a mechanism under the IT Rules, 2021 to curb caste-promoting content on social media platforms.
Copies of the order were also directed to be placed before the Chief Minister, the Union Home Secretary, and relevant ministries for compliance.
The Court described caste glorification as a “coded assertion of social power” that undermines secularism and national integrity. Referring to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s caution that caste is “anti-national,” Justice Diwakar underlined that true honour lies in equality, fraternity, and service to constitutional ideals rather than in celebrating ancestry.
The Court further highlighted the alarming trend of social media reels and digital platforms amplifying caste-based aggression and honour codes, calling them toxic reflections of “historical superiority and modern insecurity.” It urged the State to initiate educational and awareness campaigns targeting schools, community institutions, and public officials to challenge caste prejudice at its roots.
On the merits of the case, the Court refused to quash pending criminal proceedings in a liquor smuggling matter. However, the judgment went beyond the immediate dispute to emphasise that the dignity of the nation flows not from caste affiliations, but from constitutional morality and the collective effort to secure equality and justice for all citizens.
Case Title: Praveen Chetri Vs. State of U.P. and Another
Case No.: Application U/S 482 No. - 31545 of 2024
Coram: Justice Vinod Diwakar
Advocate for Petitioner: Adv. Prashant Sharma, Surendra Pratap Singh
Advocate for Respondent: G.A.
Picture Source :
