J U D G M E N T

This Criminal Appeal is instituted challenging the order in Crl.M.P.No.392 of 2020 on the files of the Special Court for trial of cases arising under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Mannarkkad, in terms of which an application for anticipatory bail preferred by the appellant who is the sole accused in Crime No.722 of 2020 of Palakkad Town South Police Station was dismissed. 2. The accused is a Christian working as the Centre Head of an institution. The de facto complainant in the case who belongs to a Scheduled Caste was an office staff in the institution. The accusation against the accused is that one day during February 2019, the accused committed rape on the de facto complainant inside the office. It is also alleged that subsequently, by threatening the de facto complainant that the accused will upload her obscene photographs, the accused continued to have sexual intercourse with the de facto complainant and impregnated her. The offences alleged against the accused are those punishable under Sections 376(2)(n) and 506(i) of the Indian Penal Code (the IPC) and Section 3 (2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Trib