Crime against SCs, STs on rise

Crime against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities has seen a surge in the recent years as close to 40,000 cases were registered during 2008, about 3,600 more than the previous year.

Crime against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities has seen a surge in the recent years as close to 40,000 cases were registered during 2008, about 3,600 more than the previous year.

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According to Ministry of Home Affairs data, a total of 30,031 cases were registered against different people during 2007 and 33,615 in 2008 for their alleged involvement in crime against Scheduled Castes.

Similarly, the number of such cases against Scheduled Tribes rose to 5,608 in 2008 as against 5,532 in 2007, the data said.

As per the information, Uttar Pradesh topped the list of States and Union territories by registering a highest of 19,137 cases during the period followed by Madhya Pradesh and Bihar with 15,355 and 8,666 cases respectively.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the few states that has shown a considerable decrease in crimes against the SCs/STs.

The number of cases in the state dropped from 5,712 in 2006 to 4,036 in 2008, a decline of nearly 30 per cent, while all India figures have shown increase.

A total on 98,702 cases were pending trial in various courts across the country at the end of 2008.

The data by National Crime records Bureau (NCRB), a nodal agency under MHA, said that a total of 49,810 people were convicted out of 1,90,857 arrested between 2006-08 under various Sections of the Act.

The Act was put in place with the aim of preventing atrocities against the members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.