Archive · 1 Jan 2026
Allahabad High Court Quashes SC/ST Case
The Allahabad High Court has canceled a criminal case that included charges under the SC/ST Act.
The case was about land allotments that happened more than 20 years ago.
The court said that just mentioning that the land belongs to a Scheduled Caste or the caste status of the person who complained is not enough to use the SC/ST Act.
The court also found problems with the investigation, like including dead people as witnesses.
The judge said that continuing the case would be unfair and a misuse of the law.
So, the court decided to stop all proceedings related to this case.
The Allahabad High Court quashed a criminal case under the SC/ST Act related to land allotments from over two decades ago.
The court observed that mere reference to Scheduled Caste land or caste status is insufficient to invoke the SC/ST Act.
The FIR was lodged in 2022, more than two decades after the alleged irregularities, without attributing any specific role to the appellant.
The court noted serious irregularities in the investigation, including the inclusion of dead persons as prosecution witnesses.
The summoning order was passed in a routine and mechanical manner without recording satisfaction about the existence of prima facie material.
- Who
- Allahabad High Court, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav
- What
- Quashing of a criminal case under the SC/ST Act
- When
- FIR lodged in 2022, Summoning order dated March 20, 2023
- Where
- Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
- Why
- The court found that the case was predominantly civil and revenue in nature, and the invocation of the SC/ST Act was unsustainable
- Court
- Allahabad High Court
- Act
- SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
- FIR Date
- 2022
- Summoning Order Date
- March 20, 2023
- Section Invoked
- Section 3(1)(f) of the SC/ST Act
- Judge
- Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav
- Location
- Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
- Key Observation
- Mere reference to Scheduled Caste land or status is insufficient to attract the provisions of the Act
Sources
'Caste Status Not Enough': Court Rejects Use Of SC/ST Act In Property Case
Scrutinise court judgments under SC/ST Act to build stronger cases: Shimla DC
‘Non-application of mind’: Allahabad High Court slams ‘fabricated’ probe after dead man listed as witness