TN to file review petition on SC/ST Act in SC

Tamil Nadu will file a separate review petition against the March 20 verdict of the Supreme Court diluting certain provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Act.

Though the Centre has already filed a review petition in the case, Kerala became the first state last week to submit a separate petition before the apex court.

The decision was taken by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami during a meeting of senior ministers on Tuesday.

“The chief minister has ordered the filing of a review petition on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government,” an official statement said.

The Centre had on April 2 filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, contending that the March 20 judgement, putting in safeguards in anti-atrocities law, would have wide
ramifications, resulting in dilution of the law meant to protect members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

The Centre has urged the apex court to reconsider its verdict which stated there cannot be immediate arrest of a public servant or private person on charges made against them under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, without approval from the appointing authority and senior superintendent of police (SSP), respectively.