In 2022, Uttar Pradesh led in reported cases of atrocities against Dalits, with 12,287 incidents, according to a report from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh followed with 8,651 and 7,732 cases, respectively. These three BJP-ruled states accounted for a significant portion of the 51,656 total cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh also topped the list for crimes against Scheduled Tribes (STs), registering 2,979 cases, followed by Rajasthan with 2,498 and Odisha with 773, reported the CJP.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2022 corroborated this trend, showing 57,582 cases of Dalit violence, an increase of 13.1% from the previous year. Uttar Pradesh alone saw a 16% increase in such crimes, rising from 13,146 cases in 2021 to 15,368 in 2022.
Despite the existence of stringent laws like the PoA Act, the report highlighted inefficiencies in delivering justice, particularly due to a lack of Exclusive Special Courts to handle these cases. Only 194 out of 498 districts in 14 states had established these courts. Additionally, the conviction rate under the PoA Act dropped to 32.4% in 2022, down from 39.2% in 2020, raising concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement and judicial systems in addressing caste-based violence.
States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand have established Special Police Stations for SC/ST complaints, yet caste-based atrocities persist, with Uttar Pradesh alone recording over 49,000 cases from 2018 to 2021. The alarming rise in these crimes underscores the ongoing challenges in combating caste-based discrimination and violence in India.
