New Delhi,
The government has decided to file a review petition before the Supreme Court next week, challenging its order banning automatic arrest and registration of cases for alleged harassment of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Sources in the Ministry of Law and Justice said the government’s senior law officers were holding a series of consultancy sessions with the ministry officials to prepare a credible review plea. A top ministry official said: “The review will likely be filed by Wednesday as by then the grounds for the review will be ready.”

Briefing mediapersons, Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government had taken note of the Supreme Court judgment about laying down new norms about the SC/ST Act. “I have already instructed my ministry to consider the desirability of filing a review. Appropriate follow-up action is being taken,” he said.

The top court had recently banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. The law protects the marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities.

A delegation of NDA’s SC and ST MPs, led by LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot, had yesterday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the apex court judgment diluting provisions of the SC/ST Act.