SC defers hearing of pleas challenging amendments in SC/ST Act

The Supreme Court once again deferred the final hearing of a clutch of pleas challenging the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018 that rule out any provision for an anticipatory bail for a person accused of committing a crime against Scheduled Caste/Schedule Tribes, to March 26.

A bench of Justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra gave three days to the Central government and other parties in the case for arguments.

Earlier the apex court had said that the petitions against the amendment and review pleas against the March 20 judgment will be heard together.

On March 20, 2018, the top court passed the judgment that there will be no automatic arrest on a complaint filed under the Act. It had also introduced anticipatory bail provision under the Act.

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 top court has seized of a bunch of pleas opposing amendments to the SC/ST Act. The pleas alleged that Parliament had "arbitrarily" decided to amend the law.

Earlier, the bench had refused to stay implementation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018, passed by Parliament.