THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE SCHEDULED TRIBES (PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES) ACT, 1989 ACT NO. 33 OF 1989 [11th September, 1989.] An Act to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, to provide for 1[Special Courts and the Exclusive Special Courts] for the trial of such offences and for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of such offences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fortieth Year of the Republic of India as follows:— CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY 1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. (2) It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu & Kashmir. (3) It shall come into force on such date2 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 2. Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) ―atrocity‖ means an offence punishable under section 3; (b) ―Code‖ means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974); [(bb) ―dependent‖ means the spouse, children, parents, brother and sister of the victim, who are dependent wholly or mainly on such victim for his support and maintenance; 3 (bc) ―economic boycott‖ means– (i) a refusal to deal with, work for hire or do business with other person; or (ii) to deny opportunities including access to services or contractual opportunities for rendering service for consideration; or (iii) to refuse to do anything on the terms on which things would be commonly done in the ordinary course of business; or (iv) to abstain from the professional or business relations that one would maintain with other person; (bd) ―Exclusive Special Court‖ means the Exclusive Special Court established under sub-section (1) of section 14 exclusively to try the offences under this Act; (be) ―forest rights‖ shall have the meaning assigned to it in sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (2 of 2007); (bf) ―manual scavenger‖ shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (g) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (25 of 2013); (bg) ―public servant‖ means a public servant as defined under section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), as well as any other person deemed to be a public servant under any other law for the 1. Subs. by Act 1 of 2016, s. 2, for ―Special Courts‖ (w.e.f. 26-1-2016). 2. 30th January, 1990, vide notification No. S.O. 106(E), dated 29th January, 1990, See Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, sec. 3(ii). 3. Ins. by Act 1 of 2016, s. 3 (w.e.f. 26-1-2016). 1