REJEESH.R. Vs. M.A.RAVEENDRAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal is filed under Section 14A(2) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act , 1989 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act').

(2.) The appellant is the de facto complainant and the first respondent is the accused in the case registered as Crime No.841/2019 of the Town South Police Station, Palakkad under Section 3(1)(u) of the Act.

(3.) The case was registered against the first respondent on the basis of the first information statement given to the police by the appellant. The material averments in the first information statement are as follows: The appellant is working as a Lecturer in the Palakkad Government Medical College. He is a person who belongs to a scheduled caste. The first respondent is the Head of Department of General Medicine in the college. He is a person who does not belong to any scheduled caste or scheduled tribe. On 20.6.2019, at about 11.00 hours, a departmental meeting was conducted in the college. Many Associated Professors of the college attended that meeting. In the meeting, the first respondent made a statement as follows: "72% of students in the college are persons who belong to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. They are students who have secured above the rank of one lakh. They are students of fourth grade. Even if they are tutored seriously, they would not be able to understand anything. If they make any complaint, the job of the teachers would be lost. Therefore, it is only necessary to teach them accordingly". The statement so made by the first respondent was with the intention to insult persons who belong to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.