Court directs same-day bail consideration upon surrender in SC/ST (PoA) Act case, balancing Section 18 bar and misuse prevention.

O R D E R

The present Criminal Original Petition has been filed seeking a direction to the learned Principal District and Sessions Judge, Special Court for SC/ST (PoA) Act Cases, Erode District, to accept the surrender of the petitioner and consequently, consider his bail petition on the same day, on merits, in connection with Crime No.96 of 2026 on the file of the second respondent police.

2. In view of the specific bar under Section 18 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and also taking into consideration the possibility of misusing the pious intention of the Parliament against innocent persons, there shall be a direction to the jurisdictional Court, to consider the petitioner’s bail application preferably on the same day of his surrender, in connection with Crime No.96 of 2026 on the file of the second respondent police and to pass appropriate orders in accordance with law, after affording due opportunity to the victims under Section 15-A of the SC/ST (POA) Act, 1989. The petitioner shall surrender before the jurisdictional Court within a period of fifteen days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.