PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 21 -- The Allahabad high court has held that mere use of a caste name like 'Chamar' does not automatically attract provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act unless there was an intent to humiliate the victim.

Allowing a criminal appeal filed by one Vegraj Singh and another, Justice Santosh Rai quashed a Bareilly court's summon order issued under Section 358 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (earlier section 319 of CrPC) dated March 21, 2025.

In its August 13 order, the high court observed, "Mere use of the word "Chamar", however, would not, by itself, establish that the appellants used the said word with the intention or knowledge of insulting or humiliating the victim...