28 per cent conviction in cases under SC/ST Act in 2014: Govt

Conviction was reported in little over 28 per cent cases registered under SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in conjunction with IPC during 2014, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla informed the House in this regard while responding to questions if the Act stipulates formation of special courts to hear cases against persons from the communities and details of criminal cases registered under the law.
Answering the queries, Sampla cited Union Home Ministry's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2014 and informed a total of 47,124 cases were registered under the Act during the period.

Out of the total 1,40,068 cases registered under the Act, the courts disposed of 19,847 cases last year. A total of 5,710 cases ended in conviction, that is, at a rate of 28.8 per cent, he said.
The Ministry informed 752 cases were compounded/withdrawn in the year, while 1,19,469 were pending before courts at the year-end.
"The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is an Act of Parliament to prevent commission of offences of atrocities against SCs and STs, to provide special courts for trial of such offences and for relief and rehabilitation of the victims," Sampla said in his reply.

The Minister informed 29 states and 7 Union Territories have designated District Session Courts as Special Courts to hear cases relating to the communities.
He said in order to accelerate trials of cases under the Act, 193 exclusive Special Courts have been set up by states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.