An Act to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, to provide for Special Courts for the trial of such offences and for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of such offences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Fortieth Year of the Republic of India as Follows:
This Act may be called the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled extent and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
Definitions:
In this Act unless the context otherwise requires:
"Atrocity" means an offence punishable under section 3
"Code" means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974)
"Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes" shall have the mean-ings assigned to them respectively under clause (24) and clause (25) of article 366 of the Constitution
"Special Court" means a Court of Session specified as a Special Court in section 14
"Special Public Prosecutor" means a Public Prosecutor specified as a Special Public Prosecutor or an advocate referred to in section 15
words and expressions unsed but not defined in this Act and de-fined in the Code or the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) shall have the meanings assigned to them respectively in the Code, or as the case may be, in the Indian Penal Code.
Any reference in this Act to any enactment or any provision thereof shall in relation to an area in which such enactment or such provision is not in force, be construed as a reference to the corresponding law, if any, in force in that area.
