A special SC-ST court in Ayodhya district has summoned the station officer of Inayatnagar police station for complying with its order in a Dalit atrocity case after a staggering five years, one month and 21 days (1,863 days).
Special Judge (SC-ST Act), Deepak Yadav, expressed his strong displeasure over the inordinate delay and directed the SO to appear in person within three days and explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.
The court made the observation when the case came up for hearing on September 30, 2026. The case dates back to 2021 and pertains to alleged casteist abuse and assault on one Shivkaran, a resident of Inayatnagar area.
According to the complaint, accused Kashinath hurled caste-based slurs at him and beat him up. When police allegedly refused to register an FIR, Shivkaran was forced to move an application before the special court under SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Taking cognizance, the special court on July 13, 2021 had ordered the SHO Inayatnagar to register an FIR and investigate the matter as per law. The order, however, remained on paper. For more than five years, no FIR was lodged.
Left with no option, victim Shivkaran again knocked the doors of the special court, filing an application seeking compliance with the earlier order. Acting on the fresh plea, the court called for a compliance report from Inayatnagar police station.
{{/usCountry}}Left with no option, victim Shivkaran again knocked the doors of the special court, filing an application seeking compliance with the earlier order. Acting on the fresh plea, the court called for a compliance report from Inayatnagar police station.
{{/usCountry}}What police filed on September 24, 2026 shocked the court. In its report, police said in compliance with the court’s order, an FIR had finally been registered on August 22, 2026.
On perusal of the report, the court calculated the delay—1,863 days from the date of order to registration of FIR. Observing that such a casual approach in a matter related to Dalit atrocity cannot be tolerated, the judge noted that the mandate of SC-ST Act is prompt registration and investigation, but here the police took more than five years to even register the case.
The incident has once again put a spotlight on the ground-level implementation of SC-ST Act in Ayodhya range, where victims allege that police often sit over court orders.