Supreme Court Examines Madhya Pradesh Habitual Offenders Law for Discrimination Against Denotified Tribes

The Supreme Court allowed the intervention of the Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project in a plea challenging the Madhya Pradesh Sudharatmak Sevayen Evam Bandigrah Adhiniyam, 2024, for allegedly discriminating against denotified tribes.

The intervenor contended that the Act’s ambiguous definition of “habitual offenders” violates Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution and contravenes the Sukanya Shantha (2024) judgment prohibiting discriminatory treatment of prisoners.

The challenge specifically targeted Sections 6(3), 27(2), and 28, which permit arbitrary segregation, denial of parole, and disproportionate restrictions.

The Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan directed the filing of a substantive application for further examination.

[In Re: Discrimination Inside Prisons in India]