Lucknow Court Sentences Woman to 3.5 Years in Jail for Fabricating SC/ST Act Complaint
A woman from Uttar Pradesh has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail by a Lucknow court for filing a false complaint under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The court's ruling emphasized that the compensation provided under the Act cannot be awarded in cases of false complaints.
The details of the case, including the woman's name and the specific allegations she made, have not been disclosed in the available reports. However, the conviction highlights a growing concern about the misuse of the SC/ST Act to settle scores or harass individuals.
Cases of false accusations under the SC/ST Act are not new. In a similar instance, a lawyer in Uttar Pradesh was sentenced to life imprisonment for filing false rape cases by misusing the provisions of the SC/ST Act with the help of a Dalit woman. The court noted that the lawyer had instituted 18 such cases, while the woman had lodged 11. The woman was later acquitted after admitting she had been misled, but the court warned her against abusing the SC/ST Act in the future.
In another case from Bareilly, a 21-year-old woman was sentenced to four years, eight months, and six days in jail for giving false testimony in a kidnapping and rape case registered in 2019. The duration of her sentence matched the time the man she implicated had served in prison. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5.88 lakh on the woman, which was to be paid to the wrongly accused man.
These instances underscore the importance of due diligence and thorough investigation in cases registered under the SC/ST Act. While the Act is crucial for protecting marginalized communities from discrimination and atrocities, its misuse can have severe consequences for innocent individuals. Courts have been increasingly taking a strict view of such cases, ensuring that those who file false complaints are brought to justice.
The ruling in the recent Lucknow case sends a strong message that false accusations under the SC/ST Act will not be tolerated. It also serves as a reminder of the need for responsible use of legal provisions and the importance of safeguarding the rights of all citizens.
