AMN
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot today introduced the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018 in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill seeks to amend the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The Union Cabinet had approved it this week after the Government decided to bring a constitution amendment bill in Parliament to restore the original provisions of the SC and ST Act.
The amendments, if passed by Parliament, will in effect nullify the Supreme Court judgment pronounced in March this year.
The apex court in its order had stated that immediate arrest of an accused under this SC/ST Act would no longer be mandatory. The arrest was to follow a preliminary enquiry by the probing agency or the police.