SC stays arrest of women rights activist under SC/ST Act

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the arrest of women rights activist Trupti Desai in a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The court sought the response of the Maharashtra government on a plea moved by Trupti against the April 23 order of the Bombay High Court rejecting her anticipatory bail application in the case.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and M M Shantanagoudar, while issuing a notice to the state government, stayed the arrest of Desai, founder of 'Bhumata Brigade'.

According to the prosecution, complainant Vijay Makasare was heading towards Mumbai from his residence in Ahmednagar, when Desai, along with three others, came in their car and stopped his car.

They had then reportedly snatched his Samsung mobile phone, gold chain and money worth Rs 27,000, after which he was assaulted with sticks and iron rods by all the accused.

The complainant has also charged that as he belongs to the Mahar community, Trupti and others abused him in the name of caste. The police had registered a complaint under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.

Trupti had argued before the high court that the "patently false" complaint was made 10 days after the incident. She also claimed the complainant does not belong to SC/ST community after converting to Christianity.