Bapatla District Collector V. Vinod Kumar on Tuesday conducted the final hearing in a case concerning the Scheduled Caste (SC) status of pastor Chinthada Anand, following directions from the Supreme Court to take appropriate action on the matter.  

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Vinod Kumar said the hearing was conducted peacefully at his office in the district and Mr. Anand submitted a representation consisting of nearly 20 pages. The Collector stated that a final decision on Mr. Anand’s caste status would be announced within a couple of days.  

According to the Collector, Mr. Anand was born in P.V. Palem mandal of Bapatla district into the Madiga community, a Scheduled Caste community in Andhra Pradesh, but later converted to Christianity and had been conducting Sunday prayer meetings as a pastor.  

A dispute reportedly arose after Akkala Rami Reddy objected to the prayer meetings conducted near their residence, alleging sound pollution. Subsequently, Mr. Anand filed an SC/ST Atrocities case against Mr. Rami Reddy, who approached the High Court contending that the case was invalid as Mr. Anand had converted to Christianity. The Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed the case against Mr. Rami Reddy, observing that the caste system was alien to Christianity and that IPC allegations lacked corroboration.  

On March 24, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court order and directed the Bapatla District Collector to take appropriate action. A joint committee later conducted two hearings and submitted a report on May 2 recommending cancellation of Mr. Anand’s Scheduled Caste certificate. Tuesday marked the final day of hearing, during which the pastor submitted his version.