The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on the bail plea of Govind Singh Rajput, a political activist from Madhya Pradesh, who is facing prosecution under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in a case alleging illegal occupation of land belonging to a Scheduled Tribe family, caste-based abuse and criminal intimidation. The Bench sought a response from the State and directed it to file a counter affidavit.

During the hearing, counsel for Rajput contended that the dispute was essentially a civil dispute between members of the complainant’s family and that the petitioner had been unnecessarily implicated. Pointing to the pending civil suit, counsel submitted that Rajput was not a party to those proceedings and offered an undertaking that he would not interfere with the disputed property.

The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana questioned the relationship between the complainant and the parties to the civil suit before recording the undertaking. It thereafter issued notice and permitted the petitioner to place the undertaking on record. Opposing the plea, the State submitted that there were several other complaints alleging land grabbing against Rajput and sought permission to place his antecedents before the Court.

Recording the State’s request, the Court directed it to file a counter affidavit.