In Brief
The Supreme Court set aside a High Court order that had reduced a defendant's imprisonment sentence to time already served for an offense under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Act prescribes a mandatory minimum sentence of six months. The Court held that where a statute prescribes a minimum sentence without discretion, courts cannot award less than that minimum, even under Article 142 of the Constitution. The conviction was not challenged; only the sentence was disputed. The Court allowed the State's appeal and directed the respondent to undergo the remaining sentence within four weeks."
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