Karnataka to get dedicated police stations for SC/ST atrocity cases, including two in Bengaluru: Report

The decision comes in response to Karnataka's low conviction rates in atrocity cases and years of calls to bolster the functioning of the DCRE.

In a significant move, the Karnataka government will operationalise 33 exclusive police stations on April 14 to handle cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

This initiative is expected to change the way atrocity cases are investigated. (Representational Image)

According to a report by Deccan Herald, the decision comes in response to Karnataka's low conviction rates in atrocity cases and years of calls to bolster the functioning of the DCRE. While Bengaluru will get two of these specialised stations, the rest will be distributed across the state with one in each district.

This initiative is expected to change the way atrocity cases are investigated. Until now, the DCRE could only conduct inquiries, but lacked the authority to carry out full investigations. With the new police stations in place, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for DCRE will be able to appoint Investigating Officers to take over cases from Sub-Divisional Police Officers and submit final reports to the designated courts, the report added.

The move follows a 2023–24 Budget promise by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make the DCRE more effective. It also comes amid concerns over a high number of counter-complaints in atrocity cases. Between 2020 and 2024, about 28 per cent of such cases registered in the state were countered with retaliatory complaints, Deccan Herald reported, citing data from the Social Welfare Department.

Conviction rate remain low

Furthermore, the state's conviction rate in atrocity cases remains dismally low, just 2.47 per cent between 2012 and 2024, raising questions about the effectiveness of existing mechanisms.

The creation of these dedicated stations is seen as a corrective step in a system where civil rights enforcement has long lacked the institutional backing to carry out robust investigations.