Lok Sabha Question No. 2778 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Cases of Witch Hunting
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: APARUPA PODDAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2778

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2017

## CASES OF WITCH HUNTING

## 2778. SHRIMATI APARUPA PODDAR:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that many tribal women are being killed in different parts of the country by being branded as 'witch' by local miscreants;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of such incidents reported during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise including Assam;

(c) whether the Government has initiated any awareness programme/ campaign against such practices on its ownor encouraged the States to do so, especially in rural areas; and

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the expenditure incurred so far in this regard during the said period, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI JASWANTSINH BHABHOR)

(a)  &  (b):  As  informed  by  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB),  the  specific  information pertaining  to  tribal  women  is  not  available  with  the  Bureau.However,  as  per  available information, a total of 161 cases in 2013, 160 cases in 2014 and 136 cases in 2015 were reported in which persons were killed due to witchcraft (includes cases reported under  murder (Section 302  IPC)  and  culpable  homicide  not  amounting  to  murder  (Section  304  IPC)).State/UT-wise, including Assam, total number of cases of murder (Section 302 IPC) and culpable homicide not amounting  to murder  (Section 304 IPC) under witchcraft during 2013-2015  are given at Annexure . As informed by NCRB, data for the year 2016 is under collection.

(c)& (d): As per the seventh schedule, 'police' and 'public order' are the State subjects under the  Constitution  and  as  such  the  primary  responsibility  of  prevention,  detection,  registration, investigation and prosecution of crimes including witch-hunting, lies with the State Government/Union Territory Administrations. National  Commission  for  Women  (NCW) conducts  seminars  and  workshops  from  time  to  time  to  create  awareness  on  the  issue  and discourage such practices.

Also, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA} Act, 1989 as amended, prescribes punishment for causing physical harm or mental agony of a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe on the allegation of practicing witchcraft or being a witch. As the responsibility of implementation of PoA Act primarily lies with the State Governments / UT Administrations, action has to be taken by them to effectively implement provisions of this Act.As regards expenditure incurred, while releasing grants to States under Article 275(1) of the Constitution and Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has advised the States that at least 30% of the total beneficiaries should be women/ girls.

****

## Annexure referred to part (a) & (b) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 2778 for 20.3.2017 State/UT-wise cases registered under murder (section 302 IPC) and culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) due

## to witchcraft during 2013-2015

|         |                   | 2013                     | 2013                                                        | 2013                                                       | 2014                     | 2014                                                        | 2014                                                       | 2015                     | 2015                                                        | 2015                                                       |
|---------|-------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No. | State/UT          | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 15                       | 0                                                           | 15                                                         | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                          | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 3       | Assam             | 6                        | 0                                                           | 6                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 4       | Bihar             | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 6                        | 0                                                           | 6                                                          | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                          |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh      | 7                        | 0                                                           | 7                                                          | 16                       | 0                                                           | 16                                                         | 10                       | 0                                                           | 10                                                         |
| 6       | Goa               | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 7       | Gujarat           | 4                        | 0                                                           | 4                                                          | 10                       | 0                                                           | 10                                                         | 13                       | 0                                                           | 13                                                         |
| 8       | Haryana           | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh  | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 10      | Jammu &Kashmir    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 1                                                           | 1                                                          |
| 11      | Jharkhand         | 54                       | 1                                                           | 55                                                         | 47                       | 0                                                           | 47                                                         | 32                       | 0                                                           | 32                                                         |
| 12      | Karnataka         | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 3                        | 0                                                           | 3                                                          |
| 13      | Kerala            | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 1                                                           | 1                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh    | 11                       | 0                                                           | 11                                                         | 24                       | 0                                                           | 24                                                         | 20                       | 0                                                           | 20                                                         |
| 15      | Maharashtra       | 10                       | 0                                                           | 10                                                         | 5                        | 0                                                           | 5                                                          | 5                        | 0                                                           | 5                                                          |
| 16      | Manipur           | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 17      | Meghalaya         | 8                        | 0                                                           | 8                                                          | 1                        | 1                                                           | 2                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 18      | Mizoram           | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |

## State/UT-wise cases registered under murder (section 302 IPC) and culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) due to witchcraft during 2013-2015

| Sl. No.   |                | 2013                     | 2013                                                        | 2013                                                       | 2014                     | 2014                                                        | 2014                                                       | 2015                     | 2015                                                        | 2015                                                       |
|-----------|----------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | State/UT       | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) |
| 19        | Nagaland       | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 20        | Odisha         | 24                       | 0                                                           | 24                                                         | 32                       | 0                                                           | 32                                                         | 26                       | 0                                                           | 26                                                         |
| 21        | Punjab         | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 22        | Rajasthan      | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          |
| 23        | Sikkim         | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu     | 16                       | 0                                                           | 16                                                         | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 25        | Telangana      |                          |                                                             | 0                                                          | 8                        | 0                                                           | 8                                                          | 14                       | 0                                                           | 14                                                         |
| 26        | Tripura        | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh  | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 3                        | 2                                                           | 5                                                          | 3                        | 0                                                           | 3                                                          |
| 28        | Uttarakhand    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 29        | West Bengal    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                          | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                          |
|           | TOTAL STATE(S) | 160                      | 1                                                           | 161                                                        | 156                      | 4                                                           | 160                                                        | 133                      | 1                                                           | 134                                                        |
| 30        | A &NIslands    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                          |
| 31        | Chandigarh     | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 32        | D&N Haveli     | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 33        | Daman &Diu     | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 34        | Delhi UT       | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 35        | Lakshadweep    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |
| 36        | Puducherry     | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          |

State/UT-wise cases registered under murder (section 302 IPC) and culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) due to witchcraft during 2013-2015

|                   | 2013                     | 2013                                                        | 2013                                                       | 2014                     | 2014                                                        | 2014                                                       | 2015                     | 2015                                                        | 2015                                                       |
|-------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| State/UT          | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total (Murder & Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) |
| TOTAL UT(S)       | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                          | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                          |
| TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | 160                      | 1                                                           | 161                                                        | 156                      | 4                                                           | 160                                                        | 135                      | 1                                                           | 136                                                        |

Source: Crime in India, National Crime Records Bureau