New Delhi, Jan 19 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday set aside criminal proceedings against a man from Bihar who had been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, ruling that vague allegations and mere presence at the scene of an incident are insufficient grounds for prosecution. A Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Alok Aradhe overturned a Patna High Court decision that had declined to interfere with a trial court’s order taking cognisance of the case and summoning the accused in Bhagalpur district. In its judgment, the Apex Court underscored that the protections afforded under the Atrocities Act are not triggered solely because a complainant being a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, or because the accused was aware of that status.
