As per stats of the SC/ST Commission, the total number of cases of murder, rape, dacoity, kidnapping etc have gone up during the last year.
NEW DELHI: Social justice may be the most forceful concept, but a harsh reality, totally on the contrary, stares India in the face. The crime against the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) is steadily on the rise. Worse is the shamefully poor conviction rate: Despite committing heinous crimes against SCs/STs, almost 70 per cent offenders go scot free.
As per stats by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the total number of cases of murder, rape, dacoity, kidnapping etc have gone up during the last one year, which indicated that implementation of the laws is not taking place.
A total of 5,713 cases of crime against the STs were reported in the country as compared to 5,535 in 2004, showing an increase of 3.2 per cent. The number of rape cases against STs in the country, have gone up from 566 in 2004 to 640 in 2005, while as many as 164 STs were murdered last year. There has been an increase in cases of murder, rape, kidnapping and dacoity against SCs too. The cases have shot up from 6197 to 6262 between 2004-05. Total 669 cases of murder were reported in the country last year compared to 654 in 2004, showing a 2.3 per cent increase. UP has accounted for about 50 per cent — 323 out of 669— of the total number of murders of SCs. Overall, MP reported the highest crime rate against SC followed by Rajasthan and AP.
According to the acting chairman of the National Commission for SCs, Fakirbhai Vaghela, the cases of atrocities against SC in UP have been mainly instigated by upper castes with the prime motive of grabbing their lands. Without directly blaming the UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said that the crime has gone up drastically in the three last years hinting at Singh’s failure to control the situation.
Dalit activist Udit Raj has a different take: “The reason for increase in cases could also be that the Dalits have started registering complaints now.” He, however, felt that there are a lot of flaws in the implementation of laws for Dalits. “The authorities have been diluting the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocites) Act, 1989. When Mayawati was the CM of UP, she made this law applicable only in the cases of murder and rape thereby letting off offenders in other cases like dacoity, looting, kidnapping etc. Implementing authorities too are biased and insensitive. Police frames lenient charges while registering cases. There has not been a single death penalty so far for committing crime against SC/STs,” Raj added.
Cases of hurt and rape against SCs have been noted highest in MP with number of rape cases going up from 1,157 to 1,172. Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of dacoity crimes against SCs, while UP followed by Gujarat had high numbers of robberies reported. UP also recorded highest number of kidnapping and abduction - 99 out of 258.
The average conviction rate for crimes against SCs and ST stood at 29.8% and 24.5%, respectively. Last year, 46, 936 persons (82.4%) out of 57, 804 arrested for committing crimes against SCs could be charge-sheeted. Of the 44,842 persons against whom trials were completed, only 12,691 could be convicted. The situation is bad for the STs. 8,273 persons out of 9,870 arrested for crimes against STs could be chargesheeted while only 1,934 were convicted of the 7,981 persons against whom trials completed.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}