NCRB Report: Over 57,000 Crimes Against Scheduled Castes Documented in India for 2023

The crime rate against Scheduled Castes reached 28.7 per lakh population in 2023.

New Delhi:

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, a total of 57,789 cases related to crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) were registered in 2023. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 15,130 cases, representing the highest share among all states.

The Crime in India 2023 report indicates that crimes against SCs saw a marginal increase of 0.4 percent compared to 2022, when 57,582 such cases were documented.

Following Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan recorded the second highest number with 8,449 cases, while Madhya Pradesh and Bihar reported 8,232 and 7,064 cases respectively.

The national crime rate against SCs was calculated at 28.7 per lakh population in 2023.

Several states showed significantly higher rates than the national average. Madhya Pradesh had the highest rate at 72.6, followed by Rajasthan at 69.1, and Bihar at 42.6. In stark contrast, West Bengal reported only 102 cases, translating to a substantially lower rate of just 0.5.

Breaking down the cases by crime category, the report revealed that "the highest number of cases (18,437, representing 31.9 percent) were registered under simple hurt, followed by criminal intimidation with 7.8 percent (4,486 cases) and offenses under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with 7.5 percent (4,345 cases)."

Additionally, 2,835 rape cases against SC women and 1,379 rape cases involving SC children were recorded nationwide in 2023.

Regarding legal proceedings, the overall chargesheet filing rate for crimes against SCs stood at 81.2 percent in 2023. Some states and Union Territories demonstrated exceptional performance, with Goa, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, and Sikkim achieving a 100 percent chargesheet filing rate. However, Rajasthan and Jharkhand lagged behind with rates below 50 percent.