SC/ST Act Case Can Be Compounded Directly in Appeal Under Section 14-A; No Need to Invoke Section 482 CrPC: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has clarified that criminal proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 can be compounded and quashed directly within a Criminal Appeal filed under Section 14-A(1) of the Act, without requiring a separate petition under Section 482 CrPC. Legal Principle Stated Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav held that when the statute itself provides an appellate remedy under Section 14-A, there is…