Haryana has witnessed an increase of nearly 50 per cent in the FIRs pertaining to crime or atrocities against Scheduled Castes in two years, from 1,086 in 2019 to 1,628 cases in 2021, as per the latest report of National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB).
According to the report, 1,210 such FIRs were registered in 2020. With registration of 1,628 new FIRs in 2021, and addition of 214 cases pending investigation from previous years, the total had gone to 1842. Also, 766 cases were closed in 2021 after being found false in final reports.
As per the 2011 census, the SC population in Haryana was pegged at 51.1 lakh compared to 88.6 lakh in neighbouring Punjab. However, in Punjab, only 166 FIRs were registered in connection with crime or atrocities against the SCs in 2019. This number was 165 for 2020 and 200 for 2021.
In Haryana, 1,496 cases were registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in 2021. The number of alleged victims in these cases was 1,507. In the same year, 53 murder and 27 attempt to murder cases were registered. Also, 270 FIRs were registered for assault on SC women with intent to outrage modesty (adult women and children). The number of cases registered for sexual harassment is 77 while 21 cases were registered under section 354D of the IPC for stalking.
In 615 cases in 2021, police submitted chargesheet apart from similar action in other 123 cases which were pending from previous years. At the end of the year, the investigation was pending in 327 cases.
On the issue of registration of cases related to SCs, the Haryana Police officers have been stating that the people are coming forward to lodge their complaint as “we offer a system of ease of reporting”. “Whenever any crime or complaint is reported, we lodge the case and investigate. Haryana is among a few states which has an efficient online grievance redressal system,” Haryana DGP PK Agrawal had said earlier.
