Delhi High Court: Video Recording of Bail Proceedings Mandatory Under SC/ST Act, Even in Sexual Offence Cases

Delhi High Court: Video Recording of Bail Proceedings Mandatory Under SC/ST Act, Even in Sexual Offence Cases In a landmark ruling, the Delhi High Court held that video recording of bail proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is mandatory, even in cases involving sexual offences. The ruling was issued by Justice Vikas Mahajan while hearing the bail application of Laxmi Narayan, the accused in a highly sensitive Delhi minor rape and murder case. The case involved provisions from the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the SC/ST Act. Section 15A(10) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 The primary focus of the judgment was on Section 15A(10) of the SC/ST Act, which mandates that all proceedings under the Act, including bail hearings, must be video recorded. This provision is in place to protect the rights of victims, especially those belonging to marginalized commu...