LUCKNOW, Sept. 30 -- The court of special judge (SC/ST Act) here on Monday sentenced Guddi Raidas to one year and six months in prison for filing a false case under the SC/ST Act against the village head, citing electoral rivalry as the motive. Additional district Judge Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi observed that the SC/ST Act was being misused to harass and intimidate innocent individuals. The prosecution stated that Guddi's brother-in-law had a dispute with Vinod and Anup Awasthi during the village panchayat election. On November 15, 2024, Guddi, through her sister-in-law, lodged a complaint against the opponents at the Mal police station. Malihabad circle officer Amol Murkut investigated the matter and found the accused at their residences, not at the incident site. Based on these findings, the court initiated proceedings against Guddi for filing a false case. The court noted that in a criminal case, the plaintiff serves as the key witness and should not submit false complaints. It highlighted that Guddi misused the SC/ST Act, which often removes provisions like anticipatory bail, to target the village head and others. The court ordered copies of its judgment to be sent to the district magistrate and police commissioner. It instructed that no relief or funds should be provided to complainants until a chargesheet is filed, warning that giving relief solely on report registration could encourage false complaints....