Question : Caste Related Violence

(a) whether caste related violences are on the rise in the country and if so, the details thereof indicating the total number of such cases reported, persons killed/injured separately, guilty arrested/convicted and the action taken against the guilty during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh;

(b) whether the Government has identified the reasons behind such increase and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has conducted any inquiry in this regard and if so, the details and the outcome thereof;

(d) whether the Government has any proposal to introduce any law to tackle caste related violence and communal violence, which takes into account principles of command responsibility, relief and rehabilitation and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the comprehensive measures taken by the Government to prevent/check such violence including advisories issued to the States in this regard and the follow up action taken by the States on such advisories?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a) to (c): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not collect data on caste related violence separately. However, the Bureau has started collecting data on riots relating to caste conflicts (section 147-151 and
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153A IPC) since 2014. The data during 2014 and 2015 is enclosed. The number of cases registered under the Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act in conjunction with the IPC has decreased from 47124 in the year 2014 to 44839 in the year 2015.
(d): As per the information available, notice for the introduction of the Bill titled “The Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2014” was given in the Rajya Sabha on 20.01.2014. However, the House after a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on 05.02.2014, deferred the introduction of the said Bill.
With an objective to deliver members of SCs and STs, a greater justice, the PoA Act has been amended by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 in 2016. The amended PoA Act, inter-alia, provides for establishment of exclusive special courts for speedy trial of cases, power of special courts and exclusive special courts to take direct cognizance of offences and as far as possible completion of trial case within two months and addition of a chapter on ‘Rights of Victims and Witnesses’. Further, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995 has also been amended in 2016 which, inter-alia, provide for enhanced relief amount of Rs. 85,000/- to 8,25,000/-.
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(e): As per the seventh schedule to the Constitution of India `Police` and `Public Order` are State subjects and as such, the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime, lies with the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations. To maintain communal harmony in the country, the Central Government assists the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations in a variety of ways like sharing of intelligence, sending alert messages, sending advisories, sending Central Armed Police Forces, including the Composite Rapid Action Force created specially to deal with communal situations, to the concerned State Governments on requests and in the modernization of the State Police Forces.


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