In 2023, a total of 57,789 cases were registered concerning crimes against individuals belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs). This marks a slight increase of 0.4% compared to the 57,582 cases reported in 2022. The data was released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its "Crime in India 2023" report.
State-wise Data
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases of crimes against SCs, with 15,130 registered in 2023. Rajasthan followed with 8,449 cases, while Madhya Pradesh recorded 8,232 cases, and Bihar reported 7,064 cases. West Bengal reported a remarkably low number of cases, with only 102 registered.
Crime Rate
The crime rate against SCs stood at 28.7 per lakh population in 2023. Madhya Pradesh (72.6), Rajasthan (69.1), and Bihar (42.6) reported some of the highest crime rates.
Types of Crimes
The highest number of cases were registered under "simple hurt" (18,437 cases, 31.9%), followed by criminal intimidation (4,486 cases, 7.8%) and offenses under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (4,345 cases, 7.5%). A total of 2,835 rape cases against SC women and 1,379 rape cases of SC children were recorded across the country in 2023.
Chargesheet Filing Rate
The overall rate of filing chargesheets for crimes against SCs stood at 81.2% in 2023. Goa, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, and Sikkim reported a 100% chargesheet filing rate, while Rajasthan and Jharkhand lagged, with less than 50%.
Overall Crime Trends in India
The NCRB report also highlighted other crime trends in India for 2023:
- Overall Crime: There was a 7.2% rise in overall crime, with 6.24 million cases registered in 2023. The crime rate increased to 448.3 per lakh population.
- Cybercrime: Cybercrime in India surged by 31.2% in 2023, with the majority of cases related to fraud.
- Crimes Against Women: Crimes against women rose marginally by 0.7%, with domestic cruelty remaining predominant.
- Crimes Against Scheduled Tribes (STs): Crimes against STs surged by 28.8%. Manipur accounted for a significant number of these cases due to ethnic violence.
- Crimes Against Children: Crimes against children rose by 9.2%, with a significant share registered under the POCSO Act.
Note: 2023 was the last full year of crime data under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which has since been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in July 2024. Future reports will reflect the new legal framework.
