Supreme Court Makes Key Observations in SC/ST Atrocity Case

The Supreme Court has made significant observations in a case related to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The court stated that for an offense under Section 3(1)(r) of the 1989 Act to be proven, the accused must have deliberately insulted or intimidated a person belonging to the SC/ST community in a public place, in the presence of others. Citing this reasoning, the court dismissed the case in question.

In the latest case, the incident allegedly occurred within four walls, and the FIR mentioned that the complainant’s associates arrived at the scene only after the incident had taken place. The bench, comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, pointed out that the alleged act did not occur in a public place where others could witness it. Accordingly, the court quashed the case, reiterating that for an offense under Section 3(1)(s) of the Atrocities Act to be established, the accused must have insulted the complainant using caste-based slurs in a public setting.