The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a case filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against an individual, ruling that the alleged incident did not occur in public view. Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih highlighted the requirements of Section 3(1)(r) of the Act, stating that for an offense to be established, it must be shown that the accused intentionally insulted or intimidated a member of the SC or ST community with the intent to humiliate them in a public space.
The bench further clarified that under Section 3(1)(s) of the Act, it is necessary for the abuse by caste name to take place within public view as well. The justices concluded that since the incident did not occur in a public setting, it does not fall under the provisions of the aforementioned sections.
The case stemmed from an FIR that detailed the incident occurring within the confines of the complainant’s office, where only a few colleagues were present, which does not meet the criteria of a public place as per the Act’s stipulations.
The appellant had initially sought relief from the Madras High Court after being charged with hurling caste-based insults during a quarrel over a land petition inquiry in September 2021. However, the High Court in February 2024 dismissed his plea to quash the trial court proceedings in Tiruchirappalli, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court.
