Day after violent Dalit protests, SC agrees to hear Centre's plea today

New Delhi: A day after violent protests by Dalit organisations rocked the nation, the Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed for an open court hearing on Centre's review petition over judgement on the SC/ST Act.

Attorney General KK Venugopal has sought urgent hearing of the review petition in the SC/ST matter at 2 PM today.

The Union government on Monday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, challenging its March 20 order, which stated that arrest is not mandatory under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act and the accused is entitled for anticipatory bail.

Read: Bharat Bandh: Dalit protest across the nation claims 9 lives

In its review petition, the Centre said that the procedural checks ordered by the apex court by way of preliminary inquiry before arrest will reduce the rate of registration of cases and conviction, increase pendency and act as a deterrent against filing FIRs.

Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government was not a party to the Supreme Court’s decision on the SC/ST Act and “respectfully” did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict on March 20.

Also read: Centre moves Supreme Court over mandatory arrest order

Normally review petitions are heard in the chamber by the judges but the Centre in this case has prayed for an open court hearing.

On March 20, the apex court had introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.

Also read: Arrest of an accused not mandatory under SC/ST Act, says Supreme Court

The court held that there is a need to provide for safeguards against registration of FIRs and arrests under the SC/ST Act in view of instances of misuse, as observed in the last three decades.