BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday issued notice to the state government to implement the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act) Rules 1995. Hearing the public interest litigation filed by Committee for Monitoring and Strengthening SC and STs in Karnataka, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Nataraj Rangaswamy ordered that notices be issued to Social Welfare Department, Police Department and Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement.

The petitioner pointed out the failure of the state government to implement the Act. “It is the duty of the state government to implement the act and rules in true letter and spirit,” the bench said while directing the state to file the statement of objections by July 16.