The Supreme Court of India has clarified that anticipatory bail should not be denied merely because offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are invoked. A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan stated that courts must carefully examine the facts and allegations in each case before refusing bail. The ruling arose from an appeal against a Gujarat High Court decision that denied pre-arrest bail to a man accused of violating the SC/ST Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The high court had noted that while the allegations under the SC/ST Act may not clearly indicate a caste-based offence, the charges under the BNS were serious enough to deny bail. However, the Supreme Court emphasized that the statutory bar in Section 18 of the SC/ST Act should not be applied in a routine manner and that judicial scrutiny is necessary to determine whether the allegations genuinely warrant the application of the law. This ruling is significant as it allows for a more nuanced approach in cases involving personal relationships and caste-based allegations, ensuring that the rights of the accused are also considered.