The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was enacted to prevent atrocities against the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). It prescribed penalties that are more stringent than the corresponding offences under the Indian Penal Code and other laws. Despite flaws in implementation, this Act has provided the SCs and STs with some sense of security. But it is often alleged that this law is frequently misused. A recent Supreme Court order has attempted to introduce some procedural safeguards to curb the misuse of this Act. But many, particularly the Dalit groups, believe that in doing so the Supreme Court has ended up diluting this landmark legislation. In this context, this article analyses the recent judicial pronouncement and presents the arguments for and against it.

中文翻译：

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最近关于印度具有里程碑意义的反种姓立法的辩论

1989 年在列种姓和在列部落（防止暴行）法的颁布是为了防止针对在列种姓 (SC) 和在列部落 (ST) 的暴行。它规定了比印度刑法和其他法律规定的相应罪行更严厉的处罚。尽管在实施中存在缺陷，但该法案为 SC 和 ST 提供了一定的安全感。但经常有人声称该法律经常被滥用。最高法院最近的一项命令试图引入一些程序保障措施，以遏制对该法案的滥用。但许多人，尤其是达利特团体，认为最高法院这样做最终削弱了这项具有里程碑意义的立法。在此背景下，本文分析了近期的司法判决，并提出了支持和反对的论据。