Madras High Court on Monday (21 st December) registered a Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation based on a newspaper report highlighting the plight of Scheduled Caste people as a dead body was taken to the graveyard through cultivable land at Marudur village near Melur in Madurai district due to lack of rao The Bench of " We have to hang our head in shame for having ill-treated and discriminated the Scheduled Caste people for centuries togethe r." The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989', " to give dignity to prevent the crimes against members of Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes", the Court further noted,