On March 20, the Supreme Court banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases for alleged harassment against SCs and STs under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, triggering widespread criticism and outcry from the Dalit community. The Supreme Court said that anti atrocities law which protects SC and ST communities against caste discrimination had become an instrument to blackmail innocent citizens. The widespread effect of this decision seems to agitation and protests across the country, and huge loss of property and lives as well. It looks like the country is yet again set to be divided on the name of caste.
The apex court said public servants can’t be prosecuted without the approval of the appointing authority, and private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. The court has asserted that there have been a number of cases where innocent people ahave been convicted for many years without any involvement in any such activities. That in a true sense violence and crime has no caste and religion. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data, about 15% of the complaints were false and 75 % of the cases resulted in acquittals or withdrawals. People have been talking about Article 17 (Abolotion of Untouchability) of the Constitution of India, but there should be an attempt for the overall protection of Human Rights
unfortunately casteism the negative phenomena of some people belonging to the SC behaving in a casteist manner with those belonging to the upper class by miss using the protection given by the act. we are seeing that right now when all ploitical parties have come to gether to slam the recent supreme court rulling to curb the misuse of the sc st act . feeling the heart of oppostion allegation it is that is anti Dalit modi goverment immediatrly decided to file a review petition against the apex court. the massive agitation can alarm the BJP even the general election of 2019 is not much away who want to lose dalit vote bank
the merit of the rulling is self evident to all unprejudiced and justice loving observers. has the court ruled that the so called atrocities act should be delliute