No Compensation Payable under SC/ST Act Where Victims Turn Hostile and Amicably Settle with Accused: Madhya Pradesh High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Monday, December 1, 2025, ruled that compensation under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 cannot be granted if the victim turns hostile during trial and settles the matter amicably with the accused. The bench, led by Justice Pranay Verma, emphasized that the primary purpose of the Act is to deter atrocities against members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled…