Supreme Court refuses stay on SC/ST Atrocities Act till Feb 19

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday once again for the second time in a week refused to stay amendments in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act effected on August 9 to overturn its March order in a Maharashtra case on certain safeguards against arrests under the Act. A Bench of Justice UU Lalit and Ms Indu Malhotra said all petitions challenging the amendments will be heard along with the Centre’s review plea against its August ruling on February 19 for final disposal. Under challenge was a provision inserted by the Modi government to rule out any anticipatory bail to the accused to please the angry Dalits, but it only angered the upper castes with agitations in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar.  The petitions have sought the declaration of the new amendments to the SC/ST Act as ultra vires. Holding that the issue required hearing in detail, the Bench said it would be appropriate if all matters were heard on February 19. The ruling came on the plea of senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for one of the petitioners, for an immediate stay to the changes in the Act.