The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed charges of caste-based atrocities against Dr. Anand Rai, a key whistleblower in the Madhya Pradesh VYAPAM scam, holding that the action was not legally sustainable under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed criminal charges under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Dr. Anand Rai, an ophthalmologist and whistleblower in the VYAPAM examination scam, ruling that the prosecution was not in accordance with law.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and N K Singh allowed the appeal filed by Dr. Rai challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s refusal to interfere with the framing of charges against him.
“We have discussed the scope of the SC/ST Act and the action is not in accordance with law. Appeal allowed,” the bench observed briefly while pronouncing the order.
Dr. Rai was represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Sumeer Sodhi.
The case stemmed from an incident on November 15, 2022, in Dharad village of Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh. A programme was organised on the occasion of Birsa Munda Jayanti for the unveiling of a statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
According to the FIR lodged by one Vikas Pargi, a group of people, including Dr. Rai, allegedly blocked the road for about an hour, stopped vehicles carrying a Member of Parliament, an MLA, the district collector and other government officials, hurled abuses, and scuffled with police officers attempting to clear the way.
Dr. Rai was named among the 40–45 individuals identified in the FIR, and charges under various provisions of the IPC and the SC/ST Act were framed against him on March 18, 2025, by the Special Judge (SC/ST Act), Ratlam.
The apex court had earlier granted bail to Dr. Rai on January 13, 2023, and had stayed the trial proceedings. In the present appeal, Rai challenged the validity of the framing of charges under the SC/ST Act, arguing that the allegations did not attract the essential ingredients of the statute.
After hearing the matter, the top court concluded that the invocation of the SC/ST Act was unjustified.
Dr. Rai has been prominently associated with exposing the VYAPAM (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal) scam, a massive recruitment and admission scandal in Madhya Pradesh. The scam involved allegations of corruption in the selection process for medical colleges and government jobs and led to several arrests and deaths.
