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Supreme Court Dismisses SC/ST Act Case Over Lack of Public Insult

Supreme Court Dismisses SC/ST Act Case Over Lack of Public Insult

In Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a case filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, ruling that the alleged incident did not occur in a public setting.he bench, comprising Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih, emphasized that for an offense under Section 3(1)(R) of the Act to be established, it must be proven that the accused intentionally insulted or intimidated a member of the SC or ST community in a public place with the intent to humiliate them.

Challenge to Madras High Court’s Order

he Supreme Court’s decision came in response to an appeal challenging a February 2024 order by the Madras High Court.he High Court had dismissed the appellant’s plea to quash proceedings before a trial court in Tiruchirapalli.he prosecution alleged that in September 2021, the appellant approached the complainant, a revenue inspector, to inquire about the status of a petition filed by his father regarding the inclusion of his name in a land lease.ollowing an alleged altercation, the appellant reportedly used caste-based slurs against the complainant in his office.

Proceedings Through Trial Court and High Court

fter the complainant lodged a complaint, a case was registered against the appellant under sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the SC/ST Act. chargesheet was filed in a trial court in Tiruchirapalli.he appellant moved the High Court to quash the proceedings, but the High Court dismissed the plea, stating that no prejudice would be caused if the appellant was tried.

Supreme Court’s Interpretation of ‘Public View’

he Supreme Court referred to the FIR, which stated that the alleged incident occurred within the confines of the complainant’s chamber, with colleagues arriving only after the incident.he Court noted that for a place to be considered ‘within public view,’ it should be open where the general public can see or hear the actions or words of the accused.f the alleged incident took place within a private space not accessible to the public, it cannot be deemed to have occurred in public view.

Conclusion

he Supreme Court concluded that, even if the allegations in the FIR were fully admitted, they did not constitute a prima facie offense under Section 3(1)(R) or Section 3(1)(S) of the SC/ST Act.onsequently, the Court allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court’s order, and quashed the charges along with the related proceedings. his ruling underscores the necessity for incidents to occur in a public setting to invoke the provisions of the SC/ST Act, highlighting the importance of context in such legal determinations.

1 comment

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Rastra Shakti

Right judgment! Far before, in addition,SC should order that a sc,st case should not registered unless it is fully verified to be a true case!

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