Implementation Of The Protection of the Law

Implementation Of The Protection of the Law : Recently, the Union government’s 2022 annual report on the Implementation Of The Protection Of Civil Rights Act (PCR Act), 1955, revealed a decline in the number of criminal cases registered for offences related to “untouchability.”

• Key Highlights : Only 13 cases were registered under the PCR Act in 2022, compared to 24 in 2021 and 25 in 2020.

o Cases in 2022 were reported from Jammu and Kashmir (5), Karnataka (5), Maharashtra (2), and Himachal Pradesh (1).

o High Pendency and Low Convictions: Over 97% of cases remain pending in courts.

- Of 31 cases disposed of in 2022, only 1 resulted in conviction, while 30 ended in acquittals.

- All 37 cases disposed of between 2019 and 2021 ended in acquittals.

o Police Investigations: Out of 51 cases pending with police, charge-sheets were filed in only 12 during 2022.

o Untouchability-Prone Areas: No State or Union Territory declared any area as “untouchability prone”.

o Comparison with SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989: In contrast, 62,500 cases were registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in 2022.

- Pendency stood at over 17,000 cases with police and 2.33 lakh cases in courts.

o Inter-caste Marriage Incentives: 18,900 inter-caste couples received ₹2.5 lakh each in financial support under the PCR Act.

- States with No or NIL Data Submission: Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand: Did not submit data on inter-caste marriage incentives.

- Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Lakshadweep: “NIL” reports.