The court directed authorities to update the daughter’s records after examining the documents supporting the name change. (Image generated using AI)The Bengaluru court has allowed a medical student’s plea to change her name in official records and her father’s name from his later-used name to his original name due to religious conversion. The father had converted to Christianity, changed his name, and later reconverted to Hinduism and resumed his original name.The court of A M Nalini Kumari, XIV Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru, was hearing a suit filed by the daughter and her father seeking a declaration that her and her father in the relevant records.The court allowed the plea and directed the authorities to change the daughter’s initial in their records and update her father’s name accordingly, with costs on September 23, dealing with the unexplained initials attached to the father’s former name. It added that if the real person with that name later comes forward and challenges him for misrepresenting himself, the father could be liable for perjury.The dispute arose from the father’s account of his religious conversion and subsequent return to Hinduism. The court recorded that he originally used the present name before his religious conversion, later converted to Christianity and assumed the Christian name, and subsequently reconverted to Hinduism and resumed using the original name. His daughter’s educational records, however, continued to carry the old name and identify her father from his Christian name.How name dispute beganAccording to the plaintiffs, the father was born on April 14, 1975, and his records, including his school documents, Aadhaar card and other identity documents, carried the name before the religious conversion.The court recorded the plaintiffs’ case that he converted to Christianity on December 31, 2001, after which he renounced the earlier name and assumed his Christian name. His daughter was stated to have been born on May 20, 2002, whose records carried the name with her father shown as his Christian name.The family sought to change the initial from “Y” to “D” after the father returned to using his earlier name. The father later claimed to have reconverted to Hinduism and resumed using his old name. The court considered documents relied upon by him, including an Arya Samaj Shuddi certificate and newspaper publications declaring his name as earlier name instead of Christian name.Story continues below this adDaughter’s records remained unchangedThe change in the father’s name after his religious conversion and return to Hinduism did not resolve the problem in his daughter’s records. Her transfer certificate and SSLC marks card continued to show her as old name, with her father recorded in his Christian name. In contrast, the father’s transfer certificate showed him by his old name, while his recent Aadhaar card also reflected the old name.The court found that the documents supported the plaintiffs’ case that the father was using old name and that the daughter’s records continued to contain the earlier version of his name. The education authorities had earlier required the family to obtain a court decree. An endorsement issued by the block education officer in April 2023 recorded that a decree was expected for changing the daughter’s name and her parents’ names in the relevant records.Name change, caste disputeThe defendants opposed the suit, arguing that particulars supplied by parents had to be maintained in educational records and that there was no provision to change the daughter’s initial and her father’s name. They also challenged the maintainability of the suit.The defendants also alleged that the father’s religious changes were connected with obtaining educational benefits. The court treated this as a secondary issue and focused on the documentary evidence concerning the names. It found that the plaintiffs had established the father’s use of old name before the religious conversion and after his use of Christian name.Story continues below this adThe judge also distinguished the present dispute from an earlier case involving caste. The present suit, the court said, was confined to the change of names and initials. “This court is in no way obligated to change the caste,” the judgment said.The court ultimately held that the plaintiffs were entitled to relief. It directed that the daughter’s initial be changed from older name to new one and her father’s name from Christian name to his old name before his religious conversion in the relevant records. The suit was allowed with costs, and the defendants were directed to make the corresponding changes in their registers and records.Vineet Upadhyay is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express (Digital), where he leads specialized coverage of the Indian judicial system. Expertise Specialized Legal Authority: Vineet has spent the better part of his career analyzing the intricacies of the law. His expertise lies in "demystifying" judgments from the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, and District Courts. His reporting covers a vast spectrum of legal issues, including: Constitutional & Civil Rights: Reporting on landmark rulings regarding privacy, equality, and state accountability. Criminal Justice & Enforcement: Detailed coverage of high-profile cases involving the Enforcement Directorate (ED), NIA, and POCSO matters. Consumer Rights & Environmental Law: Authoritative pieces on medical negligence compensation, environmental protection (such as the "living person" status of rivers), and labor rights. Over a Decade of Professional Experience: Prior to joining The Indian Express, he served as a Principal Correspondent/Legal Reporter for The Times of India and held significant roles at The New Indian Express. His tenure has seen him report from critical legal hubs, including Delhi and Uttarakhand. ... Read More