Lok Sabha Question No. 2981 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Sedition Law
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: ANTO  ANTONY, SHIVKUMAR CHANABASAPPA UDASI, KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO, CHINTAMAN NAVSHA WANAGA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2981

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  MARCH, 2016/PHALGUNA 25, 1937 (SAKA)

## SEDITION LAW

2981.

SHRI ANTO ANTONY: SHRI SHIVKUMAR UDASI: SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO: ADV. CHINTAMAN NAVASHA WANAGA:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government/National Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB) have maintained data on the number of chargesheets filed  and individuals  convicted under section  124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860;

(b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  number  of  such  cases registered  and  conviction  under  the  said  law  during  each  of  the  last three years and the current year, State-wise; and

(c)  whether the Government has received representations from various quarters  regarding  review/repeal  of  the  sedition  law,  if  so,  the  details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a)  &  (b):  The  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  has  started collecting data on cases registered under Section 124A since 2014.  The State-wise data of the year of 2014 is placed at annexure. The NCRB has further intimated that the data for the year 2015 is under collection.

(c): The Government  has not received any formal representation regarding review/ repeal of the sedition law. However, in October, 2012, a request was made by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Law and Justice to study the usage of the provisions of the Section 124A of  IPC  and  suggest  amendments.  The  Ministry  of  Law  and  Justice requested the Law Commission to consider a comprehensive review of the Criminal Laws of the country. On 11.12.2014, the Law Commission has intimated that they have identified certain focus areas and formed subgroups to deliberate on such areas.

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| N.                | State/UT          |   Cases Reported |   Cases Charge sheeted |   Persons Arrested |   Persons Charge Sheeted |   Persons Convicte d |
|-------------------|-------------------|------------------|------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh    |                1 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 3                 | Assam             |                1 |                      1 |                  1 |                        1 |                    0 |
| 4                 | Bihar             |               16 |                      0 |                 28 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 5                 | Chhattisgarh      |                1 |                      1 |                  1 |                        1 |                    0 |
| 6                 | Goa               |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 7                 | Gujarat           |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 8                 | Haryana           |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 9                 | Himachal Pradesh  |                1 |                      0 |                  2 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 10                | Jammu & Kashmir   |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 11                | Jharkhand         |               18 |                     10 |                 18 |                       10 |                    1 |
| 12                | Karnataka         |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 13                | Kerala            |                5 |                      0 |                  4 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 14                | Madhya Pradesh    |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 15                | Maharashtra       |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 16                | Manipur           |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 17                | Meghalaya         |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 18                | Mizoram           |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 19                | Nagaland          |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 20                | Odisha            |                2 |                      2 |                  4 |                        4 |                    0 |
| 21                | Punjab            |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 22                | Rajasthan         |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 23                | Sikkim            |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 24                | Tamil Nadu        |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 25                | Telangana         |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 26                | Tripura           |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 27                | Uttar Pradesh     |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 28                | Uttarakhand       |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 29                | West Bengal       |                2 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| TOTAL STATE(S)    | TOTAL STATE(S)    |               47 |                     14 |                 58 |                       16 |                    1 |
| 30 A & N Islands  | 30 A & N Islands  |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 31                | Chandigarh        |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 32                | D&N Haveli        |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 33                | Daman & Diu       |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 34                | Delhi             |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 35                | Lakshadweep       |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| 36                | Puducherry        |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| TOTAL UT(S)       | TOTAL UT(S)       |                0 |                      0 |                  0 |                        0 |                    0 |
| TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) |               47 |                     14 |                 58 |                       16 |                    1 |