A fortnight ago, an alleged land mafia in Nawada district attacked and set fire to a Dalit hamlet and more than 30 houses in Bihar. All the houses that were set on fire belonged to people from Scheduled Castes (SC). Cases have been filed under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and other relevant laws.
According to police investigation, 21 houses were completely burnt. They belonged to SCs from the Manjhi and Ravidas communities. Reports also said that the fire destroyed the utensils, clothes, cots, grains and, in some cases, farm animals of the majority of the households. The government has provided food and temporary shelter for the victims.
Data show that incidents of setting fire to Dalit households are not rare in Bihar. In the six years between 2017 and 2022, more than 35% of all the arson cases across India in which SCs were victims occurred in Bihar, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, each of which recorded around 10% of the cases.
Map 1 shows the State-wise number of SC victims in arson cases in the 2017-2022 period.
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Bihar recorded the highest number of arson cases in which SCs were victims in 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018, surpassing the State with the second-highest number by a considerable margin each time. The burning of properties belonging to Dalits is thus a recurring crime in the State.
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If we take a comprehensive view of all the crimes committed against Dalits in Bihar, it presents a worrying picture. Data show that the number of recorded cases of crimes against SCs that are being investigated by the police is increasing every year in the State, while the number of cases disposed of by the police is decreasing, leading to increased pendency of cases. The number of police cases pending investigation increased from around 3,900 in 2017 to 6,900 in 2022. Disposal of cases include cases transferred to other agencies, cases that resulted in a final report from the police (not sent for trial), and cases that were charge sheeted (sent for trial).
Chart 2A shows the number of recorded cases of crimes against SCs disposed of by the police and those pending at the end of each year. The sum of both forms the total number of cases that were up for investigation at the start of that year.
More worryingly, not only is the number of cases disposed of by the police reducing, but also the share of cases charge sheeted is declining. In other words, an increasing share of cases disposed of by the police do not end up in court.
Chart 2B shows the charge sheeting rate and pendency rate of investigation of cases of crimes against SCs.
Even among the increasingly fewer cases that end up in court, over 99% are pending at the end of the year; only 1% of trials are completed. The number of cases of crimes against Dalits that were pending trial increased from about 33,000 in 2017 to more than 58,000 in 2022.
Chart 3A shows the cases in which trials were completed and cases in which trails were pending. The sum of these forms the total number of cases that were up for trial at the start of that year.
Notably, among the cases for which trials were completed each year, an increasing share of them are resulting in convictions.
Chart 3B shows the conviction rate and pendency rate of court cases of crimes against SCs.
However, given that only a fraction of the crimes against SCs actually sees a logical conclusion in court, the absolute number of accused getting convicted is a minuscule minority.
sambavi.p@thehindu.co.in , nitika.evangeline@thehindu.co.in , vignesh.r@thehindu.co.in
Source: National Crime Records Bureau
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Published - October 03, 2024 08:00 am IST
