IPS Officer Challenges Naidu Government Over SC Certificate

Suspended senior IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre and former CID chief P V Sunil Kumar on Tuesday challenged the state government headed by…

Suspended senior IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre and former CID chief P V Sunil Kumar on Tuesday challenged the state government headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to cancel his Scheduled Caste certificate.

Amid an ongoing debate over the status of Dalit Christians and caste reservations after religious conversion, Sunil Kumar said at a gathering in Bhimavaram on Monday that if officials had the courage, they should cancel his SC certificate.

The 1993-batch IPS officer was initially placed under suspension on March 2, 2025, over allegations of undertaking multiple foreign visits without prior government permission and deviating from approved travel plans.

The suspension was subsequently confirmed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The officer is also facing criminal and departmental proceedings. The Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted a regular inquiry into allegations that Agrigold relief funds were misused during his tenure as CID chief.

In February this year, the state government extended Sunil Kumar’s suspension until June 30, 2026, the date of his superannuation, or until the completion of ongoing criminal proceedings.

With less than a month left for his retirement, Sunil Kumar is now throwing challenges at the Naidu government.

“I performed my father’s last rites according to Christian traditions. I say Hallelujah openly. Is being a Christian a crime? Is looting banks a crime?” he asked, making an indirect reference to Assembly Deputy Speaker K Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju.

Sunil Kumar stated that merely visiting a church or keeping a Bible and photographs of Jesus Christ at home does not make a person a Christian. According to him, only those who have undergone baptism can be considered Christians.

The senior IPS officer urged the Andhra Pradesh government to implement the directions issued by the High Court on the issue.

He alleged that despite the High Court’s observations, authorities were not taking the matter seriously.

Sunil Kumar also said that during his tenure as CID chief, charge sheets were filed in nearly 4,000 atrocity cases.

Questioning the rationale behind denying caste identity after conversion, he asked, “Does caste disappear if religion changes? Does caste discrimination end after conversion?”

He appealed to Dalits to support only those political parties and leaders in the next elections who recognise Dalit Christians.

He asserted that the movement on this issue would continue in the coming days and claimed that the Christian community in the state was living in fear and needed to come out of that atmosphere.

The remarks come against the backdrop of a recent Supreme Court judgment in a case related to Bapatla district.

The apex court reportedly reiterated that Scheduled Caste status stands cancelled once a person converts to Christianity.

The judgment also stated that protections available under reservation policies and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act would no longer apply after such conversion.

The controversy arose after the SC caste certificate of Pastor Chintada Anand from Bapatla district was cancelled.

Referring to the case, Sunil Kumar argued that cancelling his SC certificate was unjustified and maintained that caste-based discrimination does not automatically disappear after conversion to another religion.

He therefore challenged his opponents to seek the cancellation of his own SC certificate if they believed otherwise.

adenti adi Supreme court Ruling kadha… Govt. ki em relation.. ee IPS ila ela anagalaru…

No Sharmila, you don’t have the capability to put out CONGRESS secrets.

if converted to Christian, then follow the Govt rules. Give up the SC Certificate.

Converting SCS saying that hinduism is bad due to caste system and now fighting for the same..

Being a IPS and public servant you should proactively give up that SC status.

So that you will stand as role motel for others..

Instead you’re creating unnecessary fights and challenges.

On paper sc and christian in public gatherings n press meets ..gud ..when it is not a crime to get converted to christianity then converting one’s own caste shud also not be an issue ..everyone shud convert to sc/st so that all become equal and everyone will have reservation.

So, what if the Supreme Court judgment is in your favor? Wouldn’t you then say that the government should respect the Supreme Court’s decision?

Irrespective of caste, once a person converts to another religion, they should no longer be eligible for privileges that are linked to their previous religious status. If you truly respect the identity of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, then you should not seek to continue claiming the same caste status after adopting a different religion.

Caste discrimination is not limited to a single caste, it exists across all castes. However, which caste faces discrimination often depends on the region or place where you live.

who is RRR or state govt….. It is supreme court verdict not the legislation by the state…. He has to contest in court