MARY J. Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Though reliefs sought for in these two writ petitions filed by the same petitioner are different, the issues arising therein are the same and hence the writ petitions are heard together and being disposed of together.

(2.) In W.P.(C) No.2961/2018, the petitioner seeks to quash Exts.P18 to P20 and to declare that the caste status of the petitioner as Latin Catholic cannot be changed by the respondents. In W.P.(C) No.21173/2019, the petitioner seeks to quash Ext.P26 and to direct the respondents to abstain from proceeding further on the basis of Ext.P26. The respondents will be referred to in this judgment in the order they are arrayed in W.P.(C) No.21173/2019.

(3.) The petitioner states that her father was a Latin Catholic, born and brought up in Kottayam District. He migrated to Palakkad District in the late 70s. The petitioner's father left his ancestral home and married a Hindu woman named Rajamma, who belonged to Kalari Panikkar, which is also an OBC community. The petitioner was born on 07.04.1981. The petitioner's father was so detached from his parental family that he did not disclose much about his paternal or maternal family, to his wife or children. The petitioner's father passed away in 2013.