As per case facts the appellant was elected from a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes SC The defeated candidate respondent filed an Election Petition claiming the appellant was disqualified because ... his ancestors had migrated from another state and that he and his parents had converted to Christianity thus not belonging to the 'Hindu Parayan' SC community of Kerala The High Court declared the appellant's election void The appeal to the Supreme Court challenged the High Court's decision arguing that the High Court erroneously shifted the burden of proof entertained new claims outside the original pleadings and relied on unproven or insufficient evidence of conversion The question arose whether the validity of a Caste Community Certificate can be challenged in an Election Petition under the Representation of the People Act and whether the Election Petitioner had met the required standard of proof Finally the Supreme Court allowed the appeal and set aside the High Court's judgment dismissing the Election Petition The Court held that an Election Petition is quasi-criminal in nature and the charges must be proven beyond reasonable doubt which the respondent failed to do Crucially the Court clarified that a duly issued Caste Community Certificate cannot be assailed in an Election Petition but must be challenged only through the comprehensive statutory mechanism provided under the relevant State Act like the Kerala Act or the Madhuri Patil guidelines where no statute exists The Court found the evidence of Christian conversion inconclusive and the original challenge against the appellant's Caste Certificate failed

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