New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted for final hearing from March 26 a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the amendments made to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Atrocities Protection) Act to deny anticipatory bail to the accused and the scope for any preliminary probe into the complaints.

The apex court had already refused to stay the amendments, which were made without removing the basis of the judgment, but agreed that this required examination. The court also noted that it was also not a validation Act.

During the resumed hearing before a Bench of Justices Uday Lalit and Ms Indu Malhotra counsel for petitioners and Attorney General K.K. Venugopal insisted on an urgent hearing. The court agreed and posted the matter for final hearing on March 26 and said the matter would have to be concluded in three days.   

In their petitions, Prathvi Raj Chauhan and Sanjeev Babanrao Bhor argued that they are challenging the validity of Section 18 A of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 amendment Act 2018, whereby the fundamental right of the citizen has been taken away.