PRAYAGRAJ, Nov. 7 -- Observing that the misuse of the SC/ST Act is a fraud upon the state, the Allahabad high court on Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the accused for manipulating the victim and ordered for refund of compensation of Rs 4.50 lakh received by the victim. The court described it as a "serious abuse" of the process of law and a "gross misuse" of the benevolent provisions of the SC/ST Act. Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav dismissed the appeal filed by Rameshsar Singh and 18 other accused. During the hearing, counsel for the appellants argued that the FIR was lodged on the thumb impression of the complainant. However, this assertion was categorically denied by the counsel for the complainant, who contended that no such FIR was lodged by the victim. Noting that the complainant is a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, the court apprehended that the applicants might have approached her and exerted undue pressure upon her. The criminal appeal was filed by 19 accused seeking to quash the cognizance and summoning order passed by the Special Judge (SC/ST Act), Prayagraj in connection with a criminal case involving serious charges under 354B (assault to disrobe a woman) and various other sections of IPC and Section 3(2)(va) SC/ST Act. On Thursday, all three police officers concerned appeared before the court and on a pointed query by the court, the complainant stated that her thumb impression had been taken on a blank paper. On the other hand, the government advocate produced the case records to show that the FIR had actually been lodged on the basis of a written complaint submitted by the complainant herself. The high court observed: "The court finds it deeply disturbing that the complainant now denies having filed the FIR, despite having made statements under section 164 Cr.P.C." "The sequence of events suggests a deliberate attempt to manipulate the criminal justice process after wrongfully obtaining public funds, thereby committing a fraud upon the State," the court further observed. The special judge (SC/ST Act), Prayagraj, has been directed to continue the trial strictly in accordance with law, uninfluenced by the contradictory stand taken by the victim before this court or by the observations made herein. htc...