Context

• The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2018.
• A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, upheld the amended Act, which said neither is a preliminary inquiry required before lodging an FIR under the Act nor is approval needed from higher authorities for arrests.
• The amendment also restores the unconditional ban on the grant of anticipatory bail put in place by the March 2018 judgement of the apex court. 
• The Parliament had amended the Act to nullify a March 2018 apex court judgement that had diluted the provisions of the Act.