Apex court verdict on SC/ST Act has created a sense of disharmony: Centre

New Delhi, Apr 12: The Central government on Thursday submitted to the Supreme Court that its decision of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has created a sense of disharmony in the country as the apex court resumed its hearing in the case today.

A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice A K Goel and Justice U U Lalit resumed the hearing in the case. The Central Government had filed a review petition against the SC verdict of March 20 in respect of the Act, on April 2 following massive reaction all over the country leading to violence and arson.

A number of Dalit organizations have given a call of Bharat Band on April 2 which resulted in large scale violence and loss of nine lives in UP, MP, and Rajasthan. The Supreme Court hard refused to give an interim stay to their earlier order in view of the violence.

The top court had also asserted that “no provisions of SC/ST Act have been diluted” while clarifying that additional safeguards had been put in place “to protect the fundamental rights” of innocents.

In his written submission, Attorney Genral K K Venugopal said that the Supreme Court order of March 20 that forbids arrest sans prior permission for an offence under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, had caused anger, unrest and a sense of disharmony in the country.

In his written submission, Attorney General K K Venugopal said that through its judgment, the apex court did not fill the gaps in the SC/ST Act and the case, which was very sensitive in nature, had caused great damage to the country. “This case, dealing with the issue of very sensitive nature, has caused a lot of commotion in the country and is also creating anger, unease and a sense of disharmony,” Venugopal said.

The Supreme Court judgement of March 20 had noted some instances of abuse of the SC/ST Act of 1989 and laid down stringent safeguards including provision for anticipatory bail and a preliminary enquiry by a competent police officer prior to registration of a case under the law. This has led to largescale violence and arson and created an unrest amongst the Dalit sections of the society.