In Brief
Hitesh Verma appealed against charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act arising from allegations of abusive language. The incident occurred within a private building during a property dispute between Verma (who claimed title) and the informant (a Scheduled Caste member). The Supreme Court held that without public witnesses and given the private nature of the dispute over property rights, the Prevention of Atrocities Act charges could not be established. Knowledge of caste alone does not prevent a person from protecting their legal rights. The Court quashed charges under the Act but permitted other criminal charges to proceed.
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