Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Validity Of Amendments To SC/ST Act 2018; Dismisses Pleas

A bunch of pleas opposing amendments to the SC/ST Act were filed in the Supreme Court alleging that Parliament had "arbitrarily" decided to amend the law.

Supreme Court (File Photo | PTI)

New Delhi: Supreme Court, on Monday, upheld the constitutional validity of SC/ST Amendment Act, 2018, that ruled out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs. As per the judgment, if a case is filed against someone under the SC/ST Act, then the arrest of the accused can be made immediately. A bunch of pleas opposing amendments to the SC/ST Act were filed in the Supreme Court alleging that Parliament had "arbitrarily" decided to amend the law. The judgment was delivered by a bench of justices Arun Mishra, Vineet Saran and Ravinda Bhat. The court said that a preliminary inquiry is not necessary before registering a case and also ruled out any provision of anticipatory bail. However, citing an earlier case, it said that if the Court finds it mandatory then it can grant anticipatory bail, though the provisions related to it should be used sparingly and in exceptional cases. In October last year, the Bench had given a hint that it will uphold amendments made by the Centre in SC/ST Act to restore immediate arrest and ban anticipatory bail. Watch: "We are not diluting any provisions... these provisions will not be struck down. Law should be as it was... They will be left as it was prior to the judgment on review petition and amendments in the Act," it observed. The Apex Court had also said it will also clarify that police can hold a preliminary probe before taking any action on a complaint under SC/ST Act, in case it is of prima facie view that complaints are false. Also watch: Courts can grant anticipatory bail, says petitioner The Bench had observed that with regard to anticipatory bail, the judgment of the Constitution Bench passed earlier had held that anticipatory bail can be granted in cases where a prima facie case under the SC/ST Act is not made out. The old provision would be restored stand in the light of the review judgment delivered on September 30, 2019, the Court had remarked. By September 30 verdict, the apex court's three-judge bench had recalled its March 20, 2018 order that had diluted the stringent provisions of the SC/ST Act while restoring automatic arrest in such cases. It had also recalled order on the preliminary probe by the police before the arrest. By March 20, 2018 verdict, the two-judge bench of the apex court had held that there will be no automatic arrest on a complaint filed under the Act had also introduced anticipatory bail provision under the Act. The Centre had filed a review petition before the top court asking to review its order passed on March 20, 2018. However, the Centre had made amendments in the Act to overcome the top court's order diluting the provision of arrest under the law. The amendments provide that no preliminary inquiry would be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval. (additional inputs from ANI)