New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that it may pronounce verdict on the Centre’s plea seeking the recall of March 20, 2018, judgment diluting the stringent provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The stringent provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act mandate arrest of a person and no anticipatory bail after a complaint is filed under the law protecting the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes from social excesses.
A bench of justice Arun Mishra, justice M.R. Shah and justice S. Ravindra Bhat indicated that they may pass verdict before October 3 on the Centre’s petition for the review of its March, 2018 judgement, diluting the stringent provision of arrest under the law protecting SC/ST.
The court indication came as it deferred the hearing on petitions challenging the amendment, restoring the stringent provisions that were diluted by the top court. The court directed the listing of the matter on October 3.
The top court during its September 18 hearing, when it reserved orders on the Centre’s plea for the recall of March, 2018 judgement had lamented that even seven decades after it was outlawed, the pernicious practice of untouchability towards scheduled castes still continues.
Lawyers Prathvi Raj Chauhan and Priya Sharma have challenged the amendment to Act.
The petitioner lawyers have contended that the government brought the amendment under pressure from alliance partners and for political mileage and its worry over antagonising huge vote-bank.
