PRAYAGRAJ, Feb. 13 -- The Allahabad high court has observed that caste determined by birth remains unchanged despite religious conversion or inter-caste marriage.

The high court was hearing a criminal case involving atrocities under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, to a woman who belonged to the Scheduled Caste but married a non-Scheduled Caste man.

Justice Anil Kumar made the observation in an order dated February 10 and dismissed a criminal appeal filed by Dinesh and eight others, challenging an order passed by the Special Judge, SC/ST Act, Aligarh, summoning them to face trial for offences under Sections 323, 506, 452 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(1)(R) of the SC/ST Act. The S...