Tuesday, October 18 2005 18:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today (Oct 18, 2005) fixed October 25 for hearing a PIL seeking scheduled caste status for Dalit Christians even as the Centre said a Commission has been set up in this regard.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti and Justice P K Balasubramaiyan said it will take up the matter for hearing next week and the petitioners could also go to the Commission.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian informed the court that the Centre by a notification last month has set up a Commission which has been seized of the issue.

During the last hearing on August 23, the court had taken strong exception to the Centre's submission which had said that a decision was taken by the Government on a night previous to the hearing of matter to set up a Commission.

"The petition raising a serious Constitutional issue has been pending for almost a year and the Government takes a decision a day before it is scheduled for hearing," the court had said.

The apex Court had said it would continue hearing on the PIL seeking scheduled caste status for the dalit Christians and let the Government do its job.

Brushing aside the Centre's stand opposing Court's intervention in matter relating to inclusion of any particular community in the scheduled caste list, the apex Court on February 11 this year had agreed to examine the legality of the sensitive issue raised in a petition demanding reservation for dalits even after their conversion to Christianity.

"It is a crucial issue and we would examine the legal side of the issue on the basis of the rulings cited by the petitioner and the Attorney General," the Court had said.