Allahabad High Court Dismisses SC/ST Act Charges Against Journalist
Merely abusing not offence under SC/ST Act: Why Allahabad HC quashed charges against journalist
The Indian Express
Image: The Indian Express
The Allahabad High Court quashed charges under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against journalist Sanjeev Rai, stating that mere abusive language does not constitute an offence under the law. The court emphasized the necessity of caste-based intent for such charges to hold. The case stemmed from an incident involving a police officer in Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- 01The Allahabad High Court ruled that mere abuse without caste-based intent does not violate the SC/ST Act.
- 02Charges were quashed against journalist Sanjeev Rai, originally filed by a police officer.
- 03The court found no evidence of intent to humiliate based on caste in the allegations.
- 04The incident was characterized as a minor scuffle rather than a caste-based offence.
- 05Proceedings under other sections of the Indian Penal Code will continue against Rai.
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The Allahabad High Court recently quashed charges against journalist Sanjeev Rai under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, stating that simply knowing a person belongs to a Scheduled Caste and using abusive language does not constitute an offence. The case was initiated by Ajay Vikram Singh, a police officer from Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, who alleged that Rai insulted him using caste names during a local ceremony. However, the court highlighted that the allegations lacked the necessary intent to humiliate based on caste, which is a requirement for offences under the SC/ST Act. The bench noted that the prosecution's evidence suggested a personal dispute rather than a caste-related issue, emphasizing that the essential elements of the offence were absent. As a result, the court quashed the charges under the SC/ST Act but allowed proceedings under other sections of the Indian Penal Code to continue against Rai.
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This ruling clarifies the legal standards for prosecuting cases under the SC/ST Act, potentially affecting future cases involving allegations of caste-based insults.
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