The Special Land Acquisition Officer vs Karnataka State Commission on 3 March, 2023
"12. Article 338 of the Constitution of
India specifies for Constitution of National
Commission of Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes. The Supreme Court in All
India Indian Overseas Bank SC and ST
employees' welfare association vs. Union of
India (Supra) held that "all the procedural
powers of civil court given to the National
Commission for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribe by Article 338(8) of the
Constitution of India are for the limited
purpose of investigating any matter under
Article 338(5)(a) or inquiring into any
complaint, under Article 338(5)(b). The powers
of a civil court of granting injunctions,
temporary or permanent, do not inhere in the
Commission nor can such a power be inferred
or derived from a reading of clause (8) of
Article 338 of the Constitution. The
Commission having not been specifically
granted any power to issue interim injunctions,
lacks the authority to issue an order of the
type found in the letter dated 4.3.1993
directing the Bank to stop the promotion
process pending further investigation and final
verdict in the matter."