Won’t dilute SC/ST Act: Top court

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the 2018 amendments to the SC/ST Act, 1989, but made it clear that anticipatory bail could be granted in such matter if the courts feel that no prima facie case is made out.

The 2018 amendments to The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 that had nullified the directions in its verdict last year on March 20, diluting the provisions of arrest under the law.

A Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra, which had on October 1 recalled two of the directions passed last year by a two-judge Bench and restored stringent position of the Act, said it did not intent to dilute the law. “We are not diluting these provisions. We are not striking them down. These provisions will stand as it was earlier,” it said.

In its October 1 verdict, the top court restored the earlier position of the law by recalling two directions in the March last year verdict, which provided no absolute bar on grant of anticipatory bail and prior inquiry before effecting arrest of public servant and private individual under the Act.