SC/ST Act: Supreme Court refuses to stay ‘dilution’ order, next hearing after 10 days

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant interim stay on its earlier order on SC/ST Atrocities Act and asked political parties to file their detailed replies within two days.

Hearing the Centre's review petition, a bench of justices AK Geol and UU Lalit said that it will examine its previous order which laid new guidelines that protect public servants from immediate arrest after a complaint is filed against them under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. 

The bench asked political parties to file their detailed replies and said that the matter will be heard after 10 days.

Early on Monday, under pressure after the violent Dalit protests, the central government had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on its previous order.

In an open-court hearing, the apex court said that its order was not against the Atrocities Act but the misuse of it.

Highlights: Bharat Bandh over SC/ST Act: Death toll rises, Home Ministry monitoring situation

On Monday, at least nine people were killed and scores others injured after the Bharat Bandh protests called by Dalit organisations against the Supreme Court order turned violent.

The protesters rampaged through the towns across the country, arsoning, damaging public property, setting police vehicles on fire and pelting stones on security forces.

Six people died in Madhya Pradesh while two protesters killed in Uttar Pradesh during the clashes, according to reports. One person lost his life in Rajasthan's Alwar. 

Normal life was affected in Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha due to disruptions in rail and road traffic, forced closure of offices and vandalism of properties during the "Bharat Bandh".