Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Tops In Cases Of Atrocities Against Dalits: Report (image-twitter/DalitLives)
As per a recent government report, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan reported the highest number of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) in 2022. Nearly 97.7% of all cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes in 2022 were reported from 13 states.
As per The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, for the year 2022 report released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, of the 51,656 cases registered under the law for Scheduled Caste (SCs) in 2022, Uttar Pradesh accounted for 23.78% of the total cases with 12,287 followed by Rajasthan at 8,651 (16.75%) and Madhya Pradesh at 7,732 (14.97%).
“Thirteen states, cumulatively accounting for 97.7% (51,656) of the total cases (52,866) relating to offences of atrocities against members of SCs, registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in conjunction with the Indian Penal Code, during the year 2022,” the report said.
Other states with a significant number of cases include Bihar with 6,799 cases, Odisha with 3,576 cases, and Maharashtra with 2,706 cases. The report noted that all these cases were registered under the Indian Penal Code.
The report has also further highlighted that atrocities against STs were concentrated in 13 states. Of the 9,735 cases registered under the law for STs, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number at 2,979 (30.61%), the report said.
Rajasthan had the second-highest number of cases at 2,498 (25.66%) while Odisha recorded 773 (7.94%). The other states with a significant number of cases included Maharashtra with 691 and Andhra Pradesh with 499.
By the end of the year 2022, investigation was pending in 17,166 cases.
One of the most concerning trends that was highlighted in the report is the declining conviction rate for cases under the Act. The conviction rate had dropped from 39.2% in 2020 to 32.4%.
The report has also highlighted the inadequate number of special courts set up to handle cases under the law.
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There are 498 districts in these 14 states, however, the number of established special courts to expedite trials in these cases is just 194.
Moreover, the report identified specific districts that are particularly prone to atrocities, but only 10 states and Union Territories declared such districts.
The report has emphasized the need for targeted interventions in these districts to curb the incidence of caste-based violence and ensure stronger protection.
