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To make laws tougher to tackle atrocities against the most vulnerable sections of the population, the Centre on Monday announced that The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, would come into forced with effect from Tuesday (January 26, 2016).
The SC/ST Bill was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 21, 2015, but without a debate, and had been awaiting a formal notification. The Lok Sabha had already passed it on August 4, 2015.
Significantly, the notification comes at a time when the Centre is facing an attack from the Opposition on the back of an ongoing student agitation in protest against the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar from Hyderabad Central University on January 17.
“Consequent upon passing of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2015, by the Lok Sabha on August 4, 2015, and Rajya Sabha on December 21, 2015, to make amendments in the Principal Act, namely, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA} Act, 1989, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, as assented by the President on December 31, 2015, was notified in the Gazette of India Extraordinary on January 1, 2016. After framing the rules for enactment, now it will be enforced by the Central Government with effect from January 26, 2016,” said an official release on Monday.
After the enforcement, there will be stricter prosecution for “new offences” of atrocities, such as tonsuring of head, moustache, or similar acts, which are derogatory to the dignity of members of the SC/ST community, garlanding with chappals, denying access to irrigation facilities or forest rights, dispose or carry human or animal carcasses, or to dig graves, using or permitting manual scavenging, dedicating an SC/ST woman as devadasi, abusing in caste name, perpetrating witchcraft atrocities, imposing social or economic boycott, preventing SC/ST candidates from filing of nomination to contest elections, hurting an SC/ST woman by removing her garments, forcing a member of these communities to leave house, village or residence, defiling objects sacred to members of SC/ST, touching or using words, acts or gestures of a sexual nature against members of the community.
It also allows for establishment of exclusive special courts and specification of exclusive special public prosecutors to try offences under the Act to enable speedy and expeditious disposal of cases.
“Power of Special Courts and Exclusive Special Courts, to take direct cognisance of offence and as far as possible, completion of trial of the case within two months, from the date of filing of the charge sheet,” has also been included.
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