Indian High Courts Clarify Legal Standards in SC/ST Act and Hindu Marriage Cases

The Delhi High Court set aside a charge under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, holding that the alleged caste‑based insult must occur "in any place within public view". The court found the complaint described remarks made inside the petitioners’ offices without any public presence, dismissed the charge and remanded the matter for consideration under the Indian Penal Code. The case involved senior officials of Trans World Radio India and complainants employed as cleaning staff who alleged caste discrimination and pressure to convert.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed a family‑pension claim by a man asserting benefits from his deceased wife, ruling that neither marriage nor divorce can be effected through a notarised agreement under Hindu law. The court held that the deceased’s first marriage had never been legally dissolved, so the appellant was not a legal heir and the notarised divorce was invalid. This decision reinforced the requirements of the Hindu Marriage Act regarding valid marital dissolution.