Kurnool: A special SC/ST court in Kurnool has dismissed a case registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against 20 residents of Devanakonda after the prosecution failed to establish the charges against them, an advocate said on Wednesday.
The case was registered by Devanakonda police in 2022 against Bobba Mallikarjuna and 19 others. The accused, who belonged to weaker sections, had been facing legal proceedings for nearly four years and regularly attended court hearings during the trial.
Senior advocate and state convener of Lawyers and Public Front Madduru Subhash Chandra Bose, who appeared for the accused, said the court pronounced its verdict after completion of the trial.
According to Bose, the district judge of the special SC/ST court dismissed the case after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the accused.
The acquittal has brought relief to the 20 residents, who had faced prolonged legal proceedings since the case was registered in 2022.
Bose urged members of SC, ST, BC and minority communities to maintain harmony and avoid unnecessary disputes and litigation. He also advised people facing what they believe to be false or illegal cases to approach senior police officials or courts for appropriate relief rather than being intimidated by the proceedings.
The advocate also alleged that political influence was sometimes used to file cases under the SC/ST Act against rivals for political reasons. However, he said such allegations should be examined by competent authorities and courts based on the facts and circumstances of individual cases.
