HC directs police to submit case data on atrocities under SC/ST Act
Madurai : Madras high court on Tuesday directed the director general of police (DGP) and the additional director general of police (ADGP), social justice and human rights, to file a comprehensive district-wise statistical report furnishing details in respect of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, during the last five years.
The judges directed them to file the report on or before Nov 24 and posted the case for hearing on Nov 25. The petitioner stated that as per RTI information collected by him for 31 districts, a total of 11,117 cases were reported across the districts from 2015 to 2025. As per the records, 3,611 cases ended in acquittal and only 13 appeals were preferred by the state against acquittal before the high court.
A division bench of Justice P Velmurugan and Justice K K Ramakrishnan sought details of the total number of cases registered; number of cases in which investigation has been completed; number of cases in which chargesheets have been filed and number of cases in which chargesheets are yet to be filed. The court passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Madurai-based activist and founder of NGO Evidence, A Kathir alias Vincent Raj. Hence, the petitioner moved court.
The judges also sought details of the number of cases pending trial before the respective courts; number of cases in which appeals have been filed before the high court against the acquittal and number of cases in which appeals have been filed before Supreme Court.