Allahabad HC directs Dalit women to refund compensation for misuse of SC/ST Act
Allahabad HC judgment 2025, Allahabad High Court SC/ST Act: The Allahabad High Court, while hearing the appeal of 19 accused, pointed out that the sequence of events suggested an attempt to manipulate the criminal justice process.
Allahabad HC judgment 2025: Observing that the overall conduct amounted to a serious abuse of the process of law, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday ordered the refund of compensation received under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, taking a serious view of the matter, remarked, “Such conduct prima facie reflects a serious abuse of the process of law and a gross misuse of the benevolent provisions of the SC/ST Act.”
The court further added that this suggests a “deliberate attempt to manipulate the criminal justice process after wrongfully obtaining public funds, thereby committing a fraud upon the State.”
Justice Yadav ordered the victim, a Scheduled Caste community woman, and her two daughters-in-law to refund the entire amount of Rs. 4.5 lakh to the competent authority.
The high court also imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakh on all 19 accused, pointing it is to prevent ‘recurrence of such manipulative conduct’.
The court found it “deeply disturbing” that the victim denied filing the FIR, despite affirming the allegations in her statements and availing substantial monetary compensation.
Background of the case
In this case, the victim lodged an FIR in 2021 in Prayagraj under various provisions of the IPC and the SC/ST Act.
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In the November 4 hearing, the accused argued that the FIR was lodged on the thumb impression of the victim. However, it was denied by the victim, stating no FIR had ever been lodged by her.
Notably, on Thursday, appearing before the high court, the victim admitted that her thumb impression was taken on blank paper.
However, Government Advocate Patanjali Mishra submitted that the FIR was, in fact, lodged based on a written complaint by the victim herself in 2021.
Patanjali Mishra also informed the court that the statements of all three victims were recorded, where they unequivocally supported the prosecution’s version.
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The appeal was filed for quashing the summoning order issued by the special sessions trial in 2024.
The court directed the special judge (SC/ST) to proceed with the matter strictly in accordance with law, uninfluenced by the victim’s contradictory stand or the observations of the High Court.
Richa Sahay is a Legal Correspondent for The Indian Express, where she focuses on simplifying the complexities of the Indian judicial system. A law postgraduate, she leverages her advanced legal education to bridge the gap between technical court rulings and public understanding, ensuring that readers stay informed about the rapidly evolving legal landscape.
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