P. VENKATARAMA REDDI AND R. M. BAPAT, JJ.

( 1 ) THE learned Addl. Sessions Judge, Khammam invested with powers of Special Court constituted under Section 14 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (hereinafter referred to as the Act ) made the reference under Section 395 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure and it is numbered as Crl. RC No. 905 and 1084 of 1996 on the file of High Court. The same learned Judge while working as Addl. Sessions Judge at Warangal who was also invested with the powers of Special Court under aforementioned Act had, while reiterating the same reasons, sought for quashing the proceedings at various stages in Sessions Case Nos. 3, 4 and 9 of 1996 (on the file of the Special Court under the Act ). We will be dealing with that case i. e. , Crt. RC No. 1084 of 1996 separately. The questions referred by the learned Sessions Judge in Crl. RC No. 905 of 1996 are: (1) Whether the Special Court constituted under Section 14 of the Central Act XXXIII of 1989 is empowered and competent to take cognizance of and to try, any offence other than an offence under the said Act with which the accused may, under the Criminal Pro