The SC/ST (PoA) Act & Rules: Some Special Features

“Rights are real only if they are accompanied by remedies. It is no use giving rights if the aggrieved person has no legal remedy to which he can resort when his rights are invaded.”

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

1.       Offences

Enlarges the area of criminal liability by identifying new types of offences, thereby including several acts of omission and commission not covered under either the IPC or PCR Act.

Protects SCs/STs from various kinds of relating to social disabilities, property, malicious persecution, political rights and economic exploitation.

2.       Victims and perpetrators

Defines an atrocity crime by sole reference to caste identification of the offender (non-SC/ST member) and the victim (SC/STmember).

3.       Investigations

Ensures  that investigating officers are police officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent  of  Police  with  experience  and  ability  accountability to investigate such cases.

Mandates the completion of police investigations within 30 days occurrence of the atrocity.

Prohibit  grant  of anticipatory  bail to  persons accused of offences under the Act.

4.       Judicial Process

Makes arrangements for setting up Special Courts and grants special powers to them to ensure speedy trials of atrocity  cases,  and  for  Special  Public Prosecutors to conduct the cases.

5.       Penal Action

Imposes  exemplary  punishment  at  a scale much higher than under the IPC for atrocities on SCs/STs, except for  the  offence  of rape. A public servant accused under the Act also has been made liable to a higher  minimum  punishment,  and  importantly neglect  of official duties has  been deemed punishable.

6.       Relief & Rehabilitation Measures

Provides legally justiciable rights to the victims of atrocities by way of  a scale  of  graded  financial assistance and provision of relief and rehabilitation, apart from travel and maintenance allowances  for  victims  and  witnesses  during investigation and trial, etc.

7.       National & State level Monitoring Mechanisms

Setting up SC/STProtection Cell at the State Headquarters under  the  charge  of  Director  /Inspector  General  of  Police  for  supervision  of various actions taken under the Act.

Appointing  (i)  Nodal  Officers  to  coordinate  the functioning of District Magistrates and Superintendents  of  Police  or  other  authorized officers,  and  (ii)  Special  Officers  at  the  district level  to  coordinate  with  the  District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police or other officers responsible for implementing the provisions of the Act.

Constituting State and District level Vigilance and Monitoring Committees for enhancing accountability and greater political supervision of the implementation of the Act.

Submitting annual report about measures taken for implementing the Act by the State Government to the Central Government.

Authorising the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) & National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST):

(a)    to  investigate,  monitor  and  evaluate  the safeguards provided for SCs/STs;

(b)   to inquire into specific complaints by SCs/STs of rights violations;

8.       Preventive Measures

Implementing  a  range  of  preventive  measures, including:  preparing  a  model  contingency  plan; identifying  atrocity  prone  areas;  cancelling  arms licences  of  potential  offenders  under  the  Act; granting arms licences to SCs/STs as a means of self  defence;  setting  up  awareness  camps  in atrocity prone areas to educate SCs/STs about their rights.