India, Jan. 28 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday took strong exception and expressed serious doubts over the "conversion" of two upper-caste candidates in Haryana to Buddhism to claim minority reservation benefits.

A bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, was hearing a petition filed by Hisar resident Nikhil Kumar Punia who sought admission as a minority candidate on the basis of his claimed Buddhist faith.

The Supreme Court, while expressing to the petition, called it a "new type of fraud". The court also sought a report from the chief secretary of Haryana on how minority certificates were granted and issued in the state.

"You are a Punia? What minority are you? Let me ask this bluntly ...