Supreme Court Criticises Misuse of SC/ST Act in Granting Anticipatory Bail

The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to a 55-year-old Kerala man accused of assault and caste-based abuse, observing that the police had misused the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The Court noted that the term “bastard” did not constitute a casteist slur and held that the police acted with undue zeal while invoking the Act.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court had rejected the accused’s plea for anticipatory bail, citing the statutory bar on such relief under the Act.

[Sidhan @ Sidharathan v State of Kerala & Anr.]