Mumbai: In an important ruling, Bombay
High Court has held that an offence under the Atrocities Act,
can be `compounded` in small offences.
Under the Criminal Procedure Code, a court can compound
an offence (decide not to conduct prosecution) with the
consent of the complainant in minor cases.
However, Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, enacted to prevent
caste-related abuse and assaults, does not expressly provide
for compounding.
In the case before the court, the complainant Akash
Wadhmare was ready to withdraw the case registered under the
Atrocities Act at Shivajinagar Police Station in Beed against
his neighbour Dhananjay Bahergaonkar in June this year.
Justice A V Potdar of Aurangabad bench of the Bombay
High Court while hearing the case held that even if Atrocities
Act is silent on this aspect, offence under it can be
compounded.
-PTI
