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The Allahabad High Court has delivered an important order addressing the balance between the protection granted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act) and the need to prevent its misuse. While granting bail to two accused in a rape case, the Court underscored that the Act’s victim-centric provisions must not be abused. CASE BACKGROUND: NINE-YEAR DELAY IN FIR In the case before the Allahabad High Court, Justice Anil Kumar heard the bail applications of two appellants, Aznan Khan and Furkan Ilahi, accused of rape and offences under the SC/ST Act. The victim lodged an FIR in 2025 alleging offences that occurred in 2016. According to her statement, Furkan met her in 2016, took her to a hotel and then to the residence of co-accused Aznan Khan, where the alleged assault occurred. She stated that she remained silent for nearly nine years based on Furkan’s assurance that he would marry her. She further alleged continued physical r...

A Case Highlighting Deportation Procedures, Migrant Rights, and Constitutional Protections Background: Deportation of a Pregnant Woman Sparks National Debate In June 2024, Sunali Khatun, a pregnant resident of Birbhum, West Bengal, and her eight-year-old son were detained in Delhi on suspicion of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. On June 24, both were deported to Bangladesh along with her husband and members of another migrant worker family. Their deportation was carried out on the direction of the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) Delhi. On June 26, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested the deported families under the Control of Entry Act for entering Bangladesh without valid documents. This incident triggered political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), especially with the 2026 West Bengal elections approaching. Supreme Court’s Humanitarian Intervention Two days before Sunali’s return, the Supreme Court of ...