Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989

The State of Andhra Pradesh appealed against a High Court order that granted anticipatory bail to N. Sanjay, an IPS officer who was Additional Director General of Police, CID, and Director General of the State Disaster Response and Fire Services, alleging misappropriation of public funds through irregular tenders and c…

The appellant Karuppudayar was charged under Sections 294(b) and 353 IPC read with Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the SC‑ST Act for allegedly insulting a revenue inspector in his office. The High Court dismissed the appellant's petitions under Section 482 CrPC seeking quash of the proceedings, holding that the trial w…

The State of Andhra Pradesh appealed against the High Court's decision upholding the conviction of Viswanadula Chettri Babu and others under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The central issue was whether an investigation conducted by an Assistant Sub‑Inspector of Police co…

The appellant Raju was convicted of kidnapping, gang rape and wrongful confinement under IPC sections 366, 376(2)(g) and 342, and of an offence under the SC/ST Act 3(2)(v). The prosecution relied primarily on the uncorroborated but consistent testimony of the prosecutrix, who described being abducted, gagged, and sexua…

The appellant, a Scheduled Caste victim, filed an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for the murder of his brother. The first respondent was granted bail by the Rajasthan High Court without any notice or opportunity to be heard being given to the victim, contrary to the mandatory requirements of Section…

An FIR was lodged under several IPC sections and later under Section 3(ii) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The accused filed an anticipatory bail application, which the District Judge dismissed; the petitioner then approached the Madras High Court, but its registry ref…

The case concerns the honour killing of a Dalit boy, Murugesan, and his Vanniyar bride, Kannagi, in 2003. Police officers Sub‑Inspector K.P. Tamilmaran (A‑14) and Inspector M. Sellamuthu (A‑15) failed to register an FIR despite being informed of the murders and later fabricated evidence to implicate Dalit relatives whi…

The State of Kerala appealed a Kerala High Court order that quashed charges under Sections 3(i) and 3(xi) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, on the ground that the victim’s family had converted to Christianity two centuries earlier and therefore ceased to be members of a …

The appellants, a lawyer and his wife who was a hostel matron, were charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly outraging a hostel resident's modesty and for attempting to suppress the complaint. The police filed the charge‑sheet directly before the Sessions Cour…

The Supreme Court heard a batch of writ petitions and intervention applications filed under Article 32 seeking a fair investigation into the gang‑rape and murder of a 19‑year‑old girl in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, and alleging illegal cremation of the victim. The State Government had already ordered the Central Bureau of …

The appellant, Khuman Singh, entered the deceased Veer Singh's field with his buffaloes, leading to a dispute over grazing rights. In a sudden quarrel, Singh struck Veer Singh on the head with an axe, causing six injuries that resulted in death. The trial court convicted Singh under Section 302 IPC and Section 3(2)(v) …

The appellants were named in FIR No. 53 of 2000 for offences under the IPC and the SC/ST Act but were not arraigned as accused. After the trial commenced, the complainant applied under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to summon the appellants as additional accused. The trial court, relying solely on the co…

The appellant filed a criminal complaint in 2013 alleging offences under the IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. A magistrate took cognizance of the offences and committed the case to a Special Court constituted under Section 14 of the Atrocities Act. The High Court q…

The appellant Nallapati Sivaiah was convicted of murder under s.302 IPC based solely on two dying declarations recorded by a police inspector and a magistrate after the victim sustained 63 injuries. The trial and High Courts upheld the conviction, but the Supreme Court examined the credibility of the dying declarations…

The appellant, a Scheduled Caste MLA, lodged a complaint before the Special Judge (constituted under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act) alleging that the Chief Minister made public derogatory remarks that encouraged untouchability. The Special Judge found an offence under Section 3(1)(x) of the 1989 Act and Sect…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that quashed the conviction of Bhooraji and others and directed a retrial because the trial had been conducted by a specified Sessions Court without a prior committal order from a magistrate. The accused were charged under the IPC and the Scheduled …

The petitioner, SAKTI, filed a writ petition seeking the appointment of an officer under Section 21 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 to initiate prosecutions and ensure safety for Scheduled Tribes in several mandals of West Godavari district. The Andhra Pradesh High Cour…

Manju Devi, a Scheduled Caste woman, complained that the respondents assaulted her, outraged her modesty and insulted her caste, invoking Sections 323, 354, 452 of the IPC and Section 3(1)(xi) of the SC/ST Act. The High Court granted anticipatory bail to the respondents under Section 438 of the CrPC. The appellant chal…

The appellant was accused of stabbing the deceased, a Scheduled Caste member, with a dagger, resulting in death. The trial court convicted him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part II IPC and under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The High Court overturned the 3…

The respondents were convicted for murder and related offences arising from an incident on 17 January 2002. After being acquitted by the High Court, the Supreme Court restored the conviction in 2022, and the accused served more than four years of imprisonment. The accused then filed a miscellaneous application claiming…

The appellant, Shajan Skaria, an online news editor, published a YouTube video alleging misconduct by the complainant, an MLA belonging to a Scheduled Caste. The complainant filed a complaint under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Sp…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against a Rajasthan High Court order that granted bail to three accused in a gang‑rape case involving a 15‑year‑old girl. The FIR alleged offences under Sections 376D, 384, 506 IPC, Sections 3‑6 POCSO Act, Section 3(2)(v) SC/ST Act and Section 66 IT Act, with the complainant asserti…

Indra Devi alleged that a fraudulent land transaction involving a forged lease was carried out in collusion with municipal officials, including a clerk (Respondent No.2) who was not named in the FIR. Respondent No.2 sought protection under Section 197 of the CrPC, claiming his actions were performed in the discharge of…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Central Government's Rule 7 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995 – which mandates that investigations under the SCST Act be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police – is valid, and whether th…

The appellants were convicted under Sections 3(1)(iii), 3(1)(v) and 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. They appealed, contending that the Special Court – a Court of Session designated under the Act – could not take cognizance of the offence suo moto and register t…

The appellant filed a criminal complaint alleging cheating, forgery and offences under the SC/ST Act, which the Judicial Magistrate dismissed for lack of evidence. The appellant sought revision before the Sessions Court, which held that the appellant belonged to a Scheduled Caste, found a prima facie case and remanded …

The appellant, a government medical officer, was charged under Section 376(2)(b) IPC, Section 420 IPC read with Section 34, and Section 3(1)(x) of the SC/ST Act after a widow nurse alleged that he had a consensual relationship and failed to marry her. The appellant sought quashing of the FIR and charge sheet under Sect…

The case arose from a violent clash between two rival groups in Pedagarlapadu village, Andhra Pradesh, where the appellants formed an unlawful assembly, armed with deadly weapons, and set fire to about 50 houses belonging to a Harijan colony. The trial court convicted the appellants under IPC sections 148 and 436 (read…

A complaint under the IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was filed against the appellant. The Chief Judicial Magistrate initially dismissed the complaint, finding no case, but the Additional Sessions Judge remanded the matter for a fresh review. On remand, the magistrate re…

The case arose from a caste‑based election dispute in Melavalavu village where six Dalits were murdered and forty persons were charged, seventeen of whom were convicted under IPC sections 302, 149 and 34 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The appellants challenged their convictions on the ground that the Fir…

The appellant, Sonu Kumar, was one of six accused charged under IPC sections 452, 323 r/w 34, 376(2)(g) and SC/ST Act section 3(x) for the alleged rape of a woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste. The prosecution’s case relied on the victim’s testimony that the accused were addressing each other by names, and on a test i…

The appellant, Manish Yadav, was charged under the IPC for rape, assault and criminal intimidation and under the SC/ST Act for caste-based atrocities, based on allegations that he induced a consensual relationship through a false promise of marriage and later abused the complainant. The complainant’s statement under Se…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed against a Allahabad High Court order that granted bail to Surendra Kumar Solanki, an accused under IPC sections 363 and 366 and the SC/ST Act, 1989. While granting bail, the High Court issued sweeping criticisms of the State Government and police, alleging improper investigation desp…

The appellant was convicted under the POCSO Act and IPC for penetrative sexual assault on a four‑year‑old girl and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. In his appeal against conviction, the High Court affirmed the conviction but, finding that the trial court had overlooked aggravated provisions, issued a sh…

The appellant Gorige Pentaiah was charged in a criminal complaint filed by Bakaram Eswar alleging offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and IPC sections 427, 447 and 506, relating to demolition of a wall, caste insult and intimidation in a land dispute. The appell…

Ramveer Upadhyay and others filed a Special Leave Petition challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order dismissing their application under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code to quash criminal proceedings (Complaint No.19/2018) filed under IPC sections 365/511 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. …

Ms. X, a confirmed rape victim, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking rehabilitation, including free education for her minor children, housing accommodation, police protection, and legal aid. The Court noted that she had been convicted of rape in 2002 and had already received compensation under the Jharkhand V…

The appellant (A-1) and 14 others were tried for offences including murder, culpable homicide, and offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. On 26 March 2001, after a quarrel, A-1 and co‑accused armed themselves and attacked four scheduled‑caste witnesses; A-1 delivered a fatal blow to the neck of the de…

The appellants, belonging to the Servai backward caste, assaulted two witnesses belonging to the Pallan Scheduled Caste after one of them was called a "pallapayal" during an altercation at a temple festival. The trial courts convicted the appellants under Section 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Pr…

The incident occurred on 11 March 1998 when the victim, Mohan Mehtar, was stopped by four accused; Bharat Singh beat him with a lathi, Balvir Singh and Bhav Singh held him, and Harnam Singh shot him at close range, causing instant death. The trial court convicted all four under sections 341, 302 and, for Harnam Singh, …

The trial court acquitted four accused persons of offences under the IPC and the SC/ST Atrocities Act. The State of Rajasthan applied for leave to appeal under Section 378(3) CrPC, but the Rajasthan High Court dismissed the application without giving any reasons. The informant (appellant) had earlier filed a revision p…

The appellants were charged under Section 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for calling a Scheduled Caste informant "Chamar" (or "Chuda‑Chamar") in what the FIR described as a public setting. The Supreme Court examined whether the term "Chamar" in contemporary usa…

The case concerned the murder of Sanjay Sorle at a marriage ceremony, for which eleven persons were charged, including appellants A‑3 (Suresh) and A‑5 (Shanker). The trial court convicted the five remaining accused under Sections 148, 149 and 302 of the IPC, a decision affirmed by the High Court. On appeal, the Supreme…

On 29 September 1995 the deceased Daulat was assaulted at Gorelal's shop by a group of accused, leading to his death. The trial court convicted several accused under IPC sections 302, 147, 148 and 149 and sentenced them to life imprisonment; the High Court upheld most convictions and acquitted one. The appellants chall…

The appellant was arrested for theft and granted bail, but a police officer (respondent No.2) allegedly paraded him half‑naked, verbally abused him on the basis of caste and physically assaulted him, illegally detaining him for four hours despite bail. An inquiry by the Sub‑Divisional Police Officer found the officer r…

The appellant, a minor at the time of the alleged incidents, accused the respondents of sexual intercourse based on a false promise of marriage, resulting in pregnancy and a forced termination. The FIR and subsequent restatement contained contradictory statements, and medical evidence disputed the claim of an abortion …

The Special Court convicted the respondents under sections 452, 323/34 and 325/34 of the IPC but acquitted them of offences under sections 354, 504, 506 IPC and sections 3(1)(x) and 3(1)(xi) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The victim, Geeta Devi, appealed the acquittal. The Allahabad High Court dismissed t…

The appellant Govindan was convicted under Section 304(ii) IPC for causing the death of Kamsala during a land dispute over a pathway. The trial court found that the incident arose from a sudden quarrel, with the complainant's family acting as aggressors, and held that there was no pre‑meditation, though the appellant e…

The appellant, a mother‑in‑law, sought anticipatory bail after an FIR was lodged under Section 498A IPC and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 alleging that her son had pronounced triple talaq on his wife. The Kerala High Court denied the bail application, prompting an appeal to the Supreme C…

The appellant, Kanchan Sharma, was charged under Section 306 of the IPC for abetment of suicide and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after the deceased, her brother-in-law, consumed poison at her house. The High Court rejected her application under Section 482 of the CrPC to quash the proceed…

The State of Orissa appealed the acquittal of Sukru Gouda, who had been convicted by a trial court for raping his wife, PW1, under IPC s.376 and the SC/ST Atrocities Act. The High Court set aside the conviction, relying on the absence of medical injuries and the notion that a single man could not rape a healthy adult w…

The petitioner N. Eswaranathan, convicted of several offences, filed a first Special Leave Petition (SLP) which was dismissed by the Supreme Court with an order to surrender. He subsequently filed a second SLP on the same grounds, with the same Advocate-on-Record (AOR) P. Soma Sundaram and counsel S. Muthukrishnan fili…

The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights and other NGOs filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking enforcement of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and its 1995 Rules, alleging widespread non‑implementation by State and Central authorities. They pleaded for directions…

Motilal Gadariya was convicted for raping his neighbour's wife, a married woman, under IPC sections 376(1) and 450 and for an offence under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The trial court sentenced him to five years for the offence against a married woman and seven years for rape; the High Court affirmed. The…

A complaint was lodged alleging rape and criminal intimidation under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC and an offence under Section 3(1)(xii) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The investigation was carried out by a police officer below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of …

The respondent Ritesh was charged with murder and related offences, including criminal conspiracy, for allegedly killing his beloved Shubhangi, a Scheduled Caste member. The trial court denied bail, finding him complicit in the conspiracy. The High Court, on a revision petition under Section 439 of the CrPC, granted ba…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by six accused who had been acquitted by the trial court but later convicted by the High Court for murder, attempted murder and offences under sections 149 and 34 of the IPC. The trial court had found the prosecution's evidence unreliable, noting the darkness of the night, lack of tor…

The victim, Jyoti Sharma, an employee of Central Bank, alleged repeated harassment by Deepak Bhamawat, including a fraudulent loan taken in her name, termination from her job, and eviction from her residence. She committed suicide by consuming poison and, in her dying declaration, blamed Deepak for her harassment. The …

The District and Sessions Judge of Sasaram ordered a police officer, S.I. Arun Paswan, to produce a case diary, which he failed to do, leading to a show‑cause notice under Section 349 CrPC. While the judge was hearing another matter, a group of police officers in plain clothes and uniform shouted abusive slogans outsid…

The Supreme Court heard a public‑interest writ petition filed by Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan seeking pre‑emptive orders against hate speeches by elected representatives, arguing that such speeches violate Articles 14, 15, 19, 21 and fundamental duties. The Court examined whether existing statutes—IPC, SC/ST (Prevention of…

The appellant filed an FIR alleging an offence under Section 3(1)(ix) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused filed a petition under Section 482 of the CrPC seeking quash of the proceedings on the ground that the FIR did not mention his caste. The Bombay High Court allow…

The appellants, who were family members, were charged under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the SC/ST Act and Section 506 read with Section 34 of the IPC for allegedly hurling caste‑based insults and threatening the complainant inside a residential house. The trial court framed charges, which the High Court upheld, but…

The appeal concerned an Inspector, Sanjay Dubey, who was found prima facie guilty of dereliction of duty for failing to ensure DNA testing in a sensitive case involving offences under the IPC, POCSO Act, SC/ST Act and IT Act. While the High Court, hearing a bail application under Section 439 CrPC, directed departmental…

Ravinder Singh, owner of agricultural land, filed two criminal writ petitions seeking to quash FIRs filed by Sukhbir Singh. The second petition was filed without disclosing the earlier one, leading to a contempt proceeding which the High Court closed after the counsel apologized. Sukhbir Singh then lodged a criminal co…

The petitioner, son of a murdered Superintending Engineer, filed a transfer petition under Section 406 of the CrPC seeking to move the murder trial from Haridwar to Delhi, alleging that witnesses were being threatened by the accused's powerful gang and that the investigating and prosecuting agencies had failed to prote…

The complainant, Savita Madhav Akhade, alleged that she and her family were insulted and assaulted on caste grounds by Vilas Pandurang Pawar and others, leading to an FIR under the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The accused applied for anticipatory …

The appellants (A‑1 and A‑2) were convicted by the Karnataka High Court for murder under Section 302 IPC, overturning their acquittal by the Sessions Court, while the other 20 accused remained acquitted. The prosecution alleged that 22 persons formed an unlawful assembly, armed with deadly weapons, trespassed into the …

The appellant, Gulam Mustafa, Managing Director of GM Infinite Dwelling, was named as Accused No.18 in an FIR filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and several IPC provisions, arising from a long‑standing land ownership dispute that had been litigated in civil courts for o…

Ms S, a minor, was raped by Sunil Kumar while guarding her crops. She reported the incident immediately, and a medical examination corroborated her account; three eyewitnesses also attested to the rape. The trial court acquitted the accused because no test identification parade had been conducted, despite the victim id…

The accused, Dr. Anand Rai, was charged under several IPC provisions and the SC/ST Act for allegedly taking part in a stone‑throwing scuffle at a public event. He sought discharge under s.227 CrPC, arguing that the SC/ST charges lacked essential ingredients such as the victim’s caste status and his knowledge of it. The…

The petitioners challenged Section 18A of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which removed the requirement of a preliminary inquiry and the need for approval before arrest, and barred anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC. The Court noted that the directions issued…

The case involves the murder of Mukeshbhai, the husband of complainant Jayaben, who was brutally beaten and tied to a gate by five accused persons. The accused were identified in a Test Identification Parade, and the incident was captured on CCTV and a mobile phone. The High Court had released the principal accused, Te…

The appellant, Geeta, was convicted under Section 306 of the IPC for allegedly abetting the suicide of her neighbour, Sarika, who set herself on fire after a series of verbal and physical altercations. The trial court held that Geeta's abusive language and the involvement of her family created a hostile environment tha…

The respondent, already in judicial custody for ECIR No.10 of 2021, feared arrest in a separate case (CR No.806 of 2019) and applied for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC. The complainant objected, arguing that a person already in custody cannot seek anticipatory bail for another offence. The Bombay High …

Bhola Kumhar was convicted under IPC section 376 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment with a fine. The Chhattisgarh High Court reduced his term to 7 years rigorous imprisonment but the appellant remained in custody for over 10 years due to alleged default on the f…

The Supreme Court suo motu initiated contempt proceedings against Justice C.S. Karnan of the Madras High Court for repeatedly issuing letters and orders that alleged corruption and caste-based discrimination against numerous judges, including Supreme Court judges, and for publicly scandalising the judiciary. The Court …

The appellant Govind Mandavi was convicted for murder under IPC s.302 r/w s.34 and for an offence under the SC/ST Act based on the testimony of the deceased's wife (PW‑2) and her father‑in‑law (PW‑1), who identified the accused after a delayed statement and a Test Identification Parade (TIP). The Supreme Court examined…

Asharfi was convicted by the trial court and the Allahabad High Court for rape (IPC s.376(2)(g)) and for an offence under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the latter attracting a life sentence. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the evidence of the prosecutrix, a witness and medical repor…

Three postgraduate medical students were suspended from their college and hospital after a FIR was lodged alleging they were responsible for a junior colleague's suicide. The suspension was based solely on the FIR, not on a prima facie finding under Section 6(1) of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999. The …

The appellants were convicted of gang rape and criminal intimidation of a tribal school teacher under IPC sections 376(2)(G) and 506 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The prosecution’s case rested on the victim’s identification of the three accused in court, despite no test identification parade being condu…

The State of Punjab appealed a High Court order that quashed charges against Hardial Singh and others for offences under the IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, on the ground that the investigation was not carried out by an officer of at least Deputy Superintendent ra…

The respondent, Vikram Das, was convicted under Section 3(1)(xi) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for assaulting a SC/ST woman and was sentenced by the trial court to six months of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.500. The High Court, on the respondent's request, c…

The appellant, Hariprasad, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly poisoning Bisahu Singh by mixing a herb in liquor, based largely on the deceased's dying declaration and a forensic report that arrived a year later. The Supreme Court examined whether the more than one‑year delay in filing the FIR was fatal t…

The Supreme Court, hearing a Special Leave Petition arising from sectarian violence in Manipur that included widespread sexual violence against women, directed the State and Union governments to restore law and order and ensure justice for victims. It ordered the formation of a three‑member committee of former female j…

The appellant, Ashoksinh Jayendrasinh, was convicted under Sections 302 and 307 IPC read with Section 34, and Section 25(c) of the Arms Act for allegedly firing shots that killed Somiben and injured two others during a dispute over a road. The incident occurred at 9:00 PM in a dark agricultural field, and the prosecuti…

The appellant was convicted under several provisions of the IPC, the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Atrocities Act and sentenced to a maximum of four years’ rigorous imprisonment, to run concurrently. While his appeal against conviction was pending before the Allahabad High Court, he filed an application under Section 389 of …

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against a High Court judgment that held Section 18 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989— which bars the application of Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (anticipatory bail) to offences under the Act—unconstitutional. The Supre…

The appellant, an illiterate woman, filed an FIR alleging serious offences including rape (IPC s.376(2)(N)), criminal intimidation (IPC s.506) and caste-based atrocities (SC/ST Act s.3(1)(R), s.3(1)(w), s.3(2)(5)). The accused sought quashing of the charge sheet on the basis of a purported settlement, and the Gujarat H…

Six persons, including Hari Om, Sanjay and Saurabh, were tried for murder (IPC s.396), dacoity (IPC s.412), offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Arms Act. The trial court convicted all of them for murder, sentencing Hari Om to death and the others to life imprisonment; the High Court affirmed…

The complainants, members of a Rathore family, alleged that Dineshbhai Patel and others fraudulently obtained bogus powers of attorney and transferred their jointly owned land in Surat. Three separate complaints led to the registration of an FIR on 6 June 2016, charging offences under the IPC and the Scheduled Castes a…

The case concerns Nandabai, a young Bhil woman who was beaten, stripped and paraded in a village after an illicit relationship with a higher‑caste man. The trial court convicted four accused under IPC sections 452, 354, 323, 506(2) read with 34 and under Section 3 of the SC/ST Act; the High Court set aside the SC/ST co…

The appellant, a landowner, had agreed to sell a parcel of agricultural land to the complainant, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe, and transferred possession after partial payment. After the complainant began cultivating sugarcane, the appellant forcibly entered the land, used a tractor to till it and destroyed the cro…

Haribhau, a village sarpanch, assaulted a school teacher, Bala Saheb, in 2005, leading to his conviction under IPC sections 353, 504 and 294 read with Section 34 and an acquittal under the SC/ST Act. The trial court sentenced him to three months' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.800, which the High Court upheld. …

The appellant, a lawyer, was charged with murdering a married Scheduled Caste mid‑wife by setting her on fire after an alleged attempted rape. Three dying declarations were recorded: two (to a magistrate and to police) stated the burns were accidental, while a third (by the husband) alleged homicide. The High Court rej…

The appellants, including Sadik @ Lalo Gulam Hussein Shaikh, were convicted for the murder of Rajubhai Ramubhai Vasava after an altercation over biryani payment escalated into a violent assault involving knives and sticks. The trial court and the Gujarat High Court held that the deceased suffered three stab wounds suff…

Shaik Mastan Vali was convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Nagandla Pichamma, with whom he had an illicit relationship. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence: the appellant was seen beating the deceased and dragging her to a hut, a towel belonging to him was found tied arou…

The complainant filed a criminal complaint under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 448 of the IPC and Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Sessions Judge held that a prima facie case was made out against the accused. The High Court, however, granted anticipatory ba…

The appellant was accused of raping and murdering a ten‑year‑old girl in 2009, with the prosecution relying primarily on the testimony of the victim's seven‑year‑old cousin and recovered clothing items. The trial court convicted him under IPC sections 376, 302, 201 and the SC/ST Act, imposing the death penalty, which t…

The State of Maharashtra filed a criminal appeal against the quashing of FIR No.185/2019 and the charge‑sheet against Dr. Maroti, a medical practitioner, who was alleged to have failed to report sexual assaults on minor tribal girls in a hostel as required under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) A…

The appellant, brother of an accused named Dharmendra Nath Mishra, was summoned to stand trial under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure despite not being named in the FIR. The FIR, registered under several IPC sections and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleged that Dharmendra, his brother and an …

On 23 November 1997, while ploughing a disputed piece of land, accused No.1 (Ashok Singh) and accused No.2 (Kalusinh) allegedly fired three shots, killing Somiben (wife of PW‑5) and injuring PW‑6 and PW‑7. The trial court convicted both accused under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC and sentenced them to lif…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against a High Court order that reduced the conviction of Golu Raikwari and co‑accused from murder (s.302 IPC) to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (s.304 Part I IPC) and cut their life sentences to ten years rigorous imprisonment. The deceased, Hari Choudhary, was attacked …

The appellants were charged under several IPC sections and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act for allegedly firing a gun at Rinku Thakur, a member of a Scheduled Caste, and subsequently abusing a witness belonging to the same community. The medicolegal report, however, found no gunshot wound, and the prosecution’s case r…

The State of Karnataka appealed against a Karnataka High Court judgment that acquitted Appa Balu Ingale and others of offences under Sections 4 and 7 of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955. The accused were alleged to have used a gun threat to prevent Harijan (Dalit) villagers from drawing water from a newly dug b…

The case arose from an FIR filed by Kiran, a member of the Scheduled Caste ‘Mang’, alleging that Rajkumar Jain and others assaulted him, his mother and aunt with an iron rod, used caste‑based slurs and threatened to burn their house after he voted against a candidate. The accused sought anticipatory bail under Section …