Even Parliament can’t deny right to life and liberty: SC

Even Parliament can’t deny right to life and liberty: SC

Life and liberty

News:

1. The Supreme Court has defended the dilution of SC/ST Act and observed that even Parliament cannot allow the arrest of a person without a fair procedure.

Important Facts:

2. The SC asserted that decision to dilute SC/ST Act seeks to protect the fundamental rights to life and liberty (Article 21) of innocent citizens

3. The Supreme Court Verdict of March 20^th, had directed the police to conduct preliminary enquiries before arresting a person accused of atrocities against SCs and STs

4. The SC had explained that enquiry was not mandatory and the police need to conduct preliminary enquiry before arrest only in cases where it was felt that the complaint file is fake or absurd

5. The SC had criticised the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 on the grounds that it allowed arrest of any accused person without any scrutiny and based on ‘one-sided version’