Lok Sabha Question No. 943 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-13
Subject: Crime against SCs/STs
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Abdul Majeed Ariff

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 943

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 TH  DECEMBER, 2022/ AGRAHAYANA 22, 1944 (SAKA)

CRIME AGAINST SCs/STs

943.   ADV. A.M. ARIFF:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  crime  against  Scheduled  Castes  (SCs)  and  Scheduled  Tribes (STs)  has  been  on  the  rise  in  the  country  in  recent  years  and  if  so,  the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  at  several  places  across  the country, people are facing discrimination in accessing public services on account of their cast and if so, the action taken thereon;

(c) the details of crimes against SCs and STs in the country during each of the last four years and the current year, State and UT-wise; and

(d) whether the Government proposes to re-visit the existing provisions of law  to  protect  the  interests  of  the  SCs  and  STs  and  if  not,  the  reasons therefor?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)

(a) to (c): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes  statistical  data on crimes in its  publication  'Crime in India'. The  published  reports are available until year 2021. The details of number of  Cases  Registered,  under  Crime/Atrocities  against  Scheduled  Castes

(SCs)/Scheduled  Tribes  (STs)  for  last  four  years,  State/UT-wise  are  at Annexure.

'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to  the  Constitution  of  India.  The  responsibility  of  maintaining  law  and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including SCs/STs rest with  the  respective  State  Governments.  The  State  Governments  are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws. However, the Government is committed to ensure protection of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D)  conducts  training,  courses  and  webinars  from  time  to  time  for police personnel sensitizing them for effective implementation of Scheduled  Castes  and  Scheduled  Tribes(Prevention  of  Atrocities)  (POA) Act,  1989.  In  addition,  Government  of  India  has  issued  advisories  from time to time to implement the provisions of the POA Act and Rules in letter and spirit.

(d):  To  make  the  Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)  Act,  1989  more  effective  and  to  provide  greater  justice  and enhanced redressal to injustice suffered by the atrocity victims, this Act has  been  amended  in  2015.  The  amendment  includes  new  offences, expanded scope of presumptions, institutional strengthening, which inter-

alia includes establishment  of Exclusive  Special Courts and  specification of Exclusive Special Public Prosecutors to exclusively try offences under the  POA  Act  to  enable  expeditious  disposal  of  cases,  power  of  Special Courts and Exclusive Special Courts to take direct cognizance of offences and as far as possible, completion of trial within two months from the date of filing of the charge sheet, establishing rights of victims and witnesses, and  strengthening  preventive  measures.  Further,  Section  18  of  the  POA Act was amended through the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018 and enforced on 20.08.2018. Now conduct of a preliminary enquiry before registration of an FIR or to seek approval of any authority prior to arrest of an accused is no longer required.

*****

## ANNEXURE MENTIONED IN THE REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 943 FOR REPLY ON 13 DECEMBER 2022 State/UT-wise Cases Registered (CR), under Crime against Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Schedule Tribes (STs) during 2018 to 2021

| SL    | State/UT                   | Scheduled Castes (SCs)   | Scheduled Castes (SCs)   | Scheduled Castes (SCs)   | Scheduled Castes (SCs)   | Schedule Tribes (STs)   | Schedule Tribes (STs)   | Schedule Tribes (STs)   | Schedule Tribes (STs)   |
|-------|----------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|       |                            | 2018                     | 2019                     | 2020                     | 2021                     | 2018                    | 2019                    | 2020                    | 2021                    |
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh             | 1836                     | 2071                     | 1950                     | 2014                     | 330                     | 330                     | 320                     | 361                     |
| 2     | Arunachal Pradesh          | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       | 1                       |
| 3     | Assam                      | 8                        | 21                       | 28                       | 15                       | 6                       | 4                       | 10                      | 16                      |
| 4     | Bihar                      | 7061                     | 6544                     | 7368                     | 5842                     | 64                      | 97                      | 94                      | 103                     |
| 5     | Chhattisgarh               | 264                      | 341                      | 316                      | 330                      | 388                     | 427                     | 502                     | 506                     |
| 6     | Goa                        | 5                        | 3                        | 2                        | 4                        | 5                       | 2                       | 2                       | 5                       |
| 7     | Gujarat                    | 1426                     | 1416                     | 1326                     | 1201                     | 311                     | 321                     | 291                     | 341                     |
| 8     | Haryana                    | 961                      | 1086                     | 1210                     | 1628                     | 0                       | 1                       | 0                       | 0                       |
| 9     | Himachal Pradesh           | 130                      | 189                      | 251                      | 244                      | 1                       | 1                       | 3                       | 7                       |
| 10    | Jharkhand                  | 537                      | 651                      | 666                      | 546                      | 224                     | 342                     | 347                     | 250                     |
| 11    | Karnataka                  | 1325                     | 1504                     | 1398                     | 1673                     | 322                     | 327                     | 293                     | 361                     |
| 12    | Kerala                     | 887                      | 858                      | 846                      | 948                      | 138                     | 140                     | 130                     | 133                     |
| 13    | Madhya Pradesh             | 4753                     | 5300                     | 6899                     | 7214                     | 1868                    | 1922                    | 2401                    | 2627                    |
| 14    | Maharashtra                | 1974                     | 2150                     | 2569                     | 2503                     | 526                     | 559                     | 663                     | 628                     |
| 15    | Manipur                    | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 1                       | 2                       | 2                       | 0                       |
| 16    | Meghalaya                  | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       |
| 17    | Mizoram                    | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                       | 8                       | 0                       | 0                       |
| 18    | Nagaland                   | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       |
| 19    | Odisha                     | 1778                     | 1886                     | 2046                     | 2327                     | 557                     | 576                     | 624                     | 676                     |
| 20    | Punjab                     | 168                      | 166                      | 165                      | 200                      | 0                       | 1                       | 4                       | 0                       |
| 21    | Rajasthan                  | 4607                     | 6794                     | 7017                     | 7524                     | 1095                    | 1797                    | 1878                    | 2121                    |
| 22    | Sikkim                     | 5                        | 4                        | 0                        | 2                        | 1                       | 2                       | 0                       | 1                       |
| 23    | Tamil Nadu                 | 1413                     | 1144                     | 1274                     | 1377                     | 15                      | 31                      | 23                      | 39                      |
| 24    | Telangana                  | 1507                     | 1690                     | 1959                     | 1772                     | 419                     | 530                     | 573                     | 512                     |
| 25    | Tripura                    | 1                        | 0                        | 2                        | 3                        | 0                       | 2                       | 2                       | 0                       |
| 26    | Uttar Pradesh              | 11924                    | 11829                    | 12714                    | 13146                    | 145                     | 36                      | 3                       | 4                       |
| 27    | Uttarakhand                | 58                       | 84                       | 87                       | 123                      | 7                       | 8                       | 13                      | 6                       |
| 28    | West Bengal                | 119                      | 145                      | 109                      | 108                      | 101                     | 99                      | 90                      | 92                      |
|       | TOTAL STATE(S)             | 42747                    | 45876                    | 50202                    | 50744                    | 6524                    | 7565                    | 8268                    | 8790                    |
| 29    | A&N Islands                | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 1                       | 3                       | 2                       | 3                       |
| 30    | Chandigarh                 | 1                        | 1                        | 3                        | 0                        | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       | 0                       |
| 31    | D&N Haveli and Daman &Diu+ | 1                        | 2                        | 1                        | 0                        | 3                       | 0                       | 0                       | 3                       |
| 32 33 | Delhi Jammu &Kashmir*      | 36 1                     | 76 2                     | 69 7                     | 136 13                   | 0 0                     | 2 0                     | 1 0                     | 5 1                     |
| 34    |                            |                          | -                        | 0                        | 0                        |                         | -                       | 0                       | 0                       |
| 35    | Ladakh Lakshadweep         | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                        | 0                       | 0                       | 1                       |                         |
|       |                            |                          |                          |                          |                          |                         |                         |                         | 0                       |
|       | TOTAL UT(S)                | 46                       | 85                       | 89                       | 156                      | 4                       | 5                       | 4                       | 12                      |
| TOTAL | (ALL INDIA)                | 42793                    | 45961                    | 50291                    | 50900                    | 6528                    | 7570                    | 8272                    | 8802                    |

Source: Crime in India

Note : '+' Combined data of erstwhile D&N Haveli UT and Daman & Diu UT for 2018 & 2019

*' Data of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir State including Ladakh for 2018 & 2019

$ Revised data for 2019 has been furnished by Uttar Pradesh State in 2021.

Therefore, comparatively there may be difference in the old published data of Crime/Atrocities against STs in regard of year 2019