Madurai : Madras high court on Wednesday directed the state to file a report on a plea seeking to ensure that victims of caste atrocities, particularly in murder cases, receive all statutory relief and rehabilitation guaranteed under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Rules.
A division bench of Justice P Velmurugan and Justice K K Ramakrishnan was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Madurai-based activist and founder of NGO Evidence, A Kathir alias Vincent Raj.
The statutory scheme therefore required the authorities to examine not only monetary relief but also other rehabilitation measures applicable to the eligible family under the Act and the Rules. The petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to identify, verify and prepare a comprehensive district-wise list and ensure proper consideration and issuance of all statutory relief and rehabilitation measures legally due to eligible families, including pension, employment, agricultural land, housing, educational assistance to children and essential provisions under the SC/ST Act. The petitioner stated that the SC/ST Act was enacted to prevent atrocities against the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and to secure effective legal protection and relief for victims. In cases where a person was murdered or died in circumstances attracting the relevant provisions of the Act, the surviving family might be left without its principal source of income and support. He also sought a direction to the authorities to identify all murder cases attracting the provisions of the SC/ST Act in their respective districts and submit a district-wise report to the court. He stated that the report should specify the details of the victims’ families and the dependants and whether they had received the statutory relief and the rehabilitation benefits which included pension, employment to an eligible family member, agricultural land or house site, housing, educational assistance and maintenance for children, and essential provisions for three months.