Improve rate of conviction in SC/ST Act cases: NCSC to J'khand

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) today suggested Jharkhand to improve the rate of conviction in cases registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
"As against the national average of 23.8 per cent, the conviction rate in Jharkhand is only 2.08 per cent. This should be improved upon," NCSC chairperson P L Punia told a press conference here.
Though Jharkhand was not among those states to be worried about atrocities, Punia said there were 292 cases of atrocities under the Act in 2010, which rose to 883 cases in 2014 with charge-sheet being filed in some cases, while others were closed after police investigation.

Efforts should be made by the department concerned to dispose off such cases in which charge-sheet has been filed, he said.
Noting that the Commission reviewed with the officials in Jharkhand for the first time since the state's creation, Punia said the information given to the Commission on various issues was "insufficient".