Bengaluru: In a significant ruling, the Karnataka High Court has quashed proceedings initiated by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes against the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Mysore Education Society (MES), which operates MES College in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. The Commission had acted upon a complaint filed by P. Babu, a computer technician employed with the institution, alleging caste-based harassment.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, delivering the verdict, held that the Commission had acted beyond its jurisdiction in entertaining what was essentially a service dispute. The judge observed that the complaint lacked substantial evidence of atrocity and appeared to be a misuse of the provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“The Commission ought not to have entertained the complaint, which on the face of it, is a misuse of the provisions of the Act, projecting abuse and imaginary atrocity. A palpable service dispute is projected as an atrocity dispute,” the Court stated.
The controversy began when Babu, after availing a two-year leave, was reinstated and transferred to another institution within the MES group, four kilometers from his original workplace. This transfer was in line with the terms of his employment contract, which allowed inter-institutional transfers. Babu had initially accepted the transfer with gratitude in 2023. However, in 2024, he approached the SC Commission alleging caste-based harassment.
Following this, the Commission directed the Commissioner of Police to investigate the matter and collect statements from staff members. The MES authorities contended that the Commission lacked the authority to adjudicate a service-related dispute and accused Babu of creating institutional disruption based on baseless claims.
The High Court agreed with the petitioners, noting that the SC Commission’s constitutional mandate under Article 338 is limited to monitoring and investigating safeguards for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. It is not empowered to function as a civil court or tribunal capable of adjudicating employment disputes.
“The powers conferred do not contemplate that the Commission can examine matters like a civil Court and adjudicate dispute and pronounce its decision either interim or final,” the bench ruled.
Justice Nagaprasanna further pointed out that Babu’s allegations brought forth grievances spanning nearly a decade, none of which were raised earlier, thereby casting doubts on the credibility and timing of the complaint.
While the Commission had not issued any final directive, the Court held that the very initiation of proceedings caused unwarranted disruption within the institution and adversely affected its functioning.
“The proceedings before the Commission suffering from want of jurisdiction, in the peculiar facts of the case, need to be obliterated,” the Court concluded.
Advocate Pradeep S. Sawkar appeared for the petitioners, while Advocates Nagendra B and B.S. Venkatanarayana represented the respondents.
The case, titled The Mysore Education Society & Anr vs. Babu P & Anr, was registered as Writ Petition No. 17808 of 2024.
