3 judge bench to hear Centre's plea against SC's Dalit Atrocities Act order

New Delhi, Sep 13: The Supreme Court on Friday referred to a three-judge bench the Centre's petition seeking review of its March 20, 2018 judgement which had virtually diluted provisions of arrest under the SC/ST Act.

"Place the matter before three-judge bench next week," a two-judge bench of justices Arun Mishra and UU Lalit said today.

The top court had on May 1 reserved the judgement on the Centre's review plea while observing that laws in the country should be caste neutral and uniform.

The Centre contended that the whole March 2018 verdict was "problematic" and it should be reviewed by the court.

The verdict had led to massive outcry and violent protests by different SC/ST organisations across the country in which several people had died and many injured.

Some of the parties supporting the last year verdict had said that the Centre's review has become infructuous as Parliament has already passed the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018 to neutralize the effects of the judgement.

They sought a stay of the Amendment Act till the apex court gives the verdict on the review plea of Centre.

The top court had said that if any wrong has been done in the judgement, then it can always be corrected in the review petition.

On January 30, the apex court had refused to stay amendments to the SC/ST Act that restored the no anticipatory bail provision.

Parliament on August 9 last year had passed a bill to overturn the apex court order relating to certain safeguards against arrest under the SC and ST law.