SC quashes SC/ST case against Revanth Reddy

Metro India News | new delhi

The Supreme Court has upheld the Telangana High Court’s order quashing criminal proceedings filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi dismissed a petition challenging the High Court’s earlier decision, observing that the High Court had carefully examined the material placed on record and found no prima facie case against the respondent. 

The case, titled N. Peddi Raju vs. the State of Telangana and another, relates to a 2016 complaint connected to a land dispute involving a cooperative housing society. The complainant had alleged trespass, property damage, and caste-based abuse, leading to registration of an FIR under sections of the IPC and the SC/ST Act. 

The High Court, while quashing the case earlier, held that the evidence did not establish the necessary ingredients to invoke provisions of the SC/ST Act. The court observed that mere existence of a civil land dispute does not automatically attract offences under the Act unless there is clear intention to humiliate a person specifically on caste grounds. It also noted that no direct material linked the accused to the alleged acts. 

During the Supreme Court hearing, the bench stated that the High Court’s reasoning appeared legally sound and declined to interfere with the order. The Court clarified that the dismissal of the appeal was based on the merits of the case as assessed by the High Court. 

The ruling effectively brings closure to the proceedings against the Chief Minister in this matter, reaffirming that criminal provisions under the SC/ST Act require specific intent and supporting evidence before a trial can proceed.