Atrocity cases: few convictions, long trials and disputes over misuse
In 2024 courts convicted in 33.9% of the atrocity cases against Scheduled Castes that they decided, and 95.2% of cases were waiting for trial. Police closed 11% of the cases they disposed of as "false", against 3.6% for all crimes. Victims and the wrongly accused both wait years.
Open for ideas, evidence and questions.
What we know
In 2024 the police registered 55,698 crimes against Scheduled Castes and 9,966 against Scheduled Tribes, almost all under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 3,39,853 cases against Scheduled Castes and 53,113 against Scheduled Tribes were pending trial at year end. There are 217 Exclusive Special Courts, in 15 states and union territories. The Act asks for trials to be completed within two months of the charge sheet "as far as possible".
The Act gives victims relief of ₹85,000 to ₹8.25 lakh, usually paid in stages from the FIR. 99,216 victims received relief in 2024-25. The rules say nothing about what happens to relief if a complaint is proved false, and nothing flags repeated claims. In August 2026 the Allahabad High Court heard that an advocate in Jhansi and his family had received ₹23.36 lakh in relief across several cases, and ordered a review of repeated claims across Uttar Pradesh, while stating that it had made no finding of misuse.
In March 2018 the Supreme Court added safeguards before arrest. After protests in which at least nine people died, Parliament reversed them in August 2018. In 2020 the Court upheld the amendment, and held that the bar on anticipatory bail applies only where the FIR discloses a prima facie offence under the Act. On 22 September 2026 it dismissed a fresh challenge, saying misuse should be handled by courts case by case.
At least 75% of relief is paid before any verdict. In 2024 courts acquitted or discharged the accused in 13,823 atrocity cases, and police closed 7,420 as "false". At the lowest relief amount and one victim per case, at least ₹104 crore had gone to cases that ended that year without a conviction.
Police closures as "false" are the investigating officers' view, not court findings.
Open questions
- How many Exclusive Special Courts does your district have, and how long does an atrocity trial take there?
- How much relief did your district pay last year, and how much of it on time?
- Why do so many victims and witnesses turn hostile, and what would protect them?
- How many atrocity cases in your district were closed as false, and on what evidence?
- How can the law stop sections being added to ordinary disputes without weakening protection for real victims?
Sources
- NCRB Crime in India 2024, Volume II (Tables 7A and 7C)
- PIB: Exclusive Special Courts and relief to victims (October 2026)
- LiveLaw: Allahabad High Court orders statewide review of repeated relief claims (August 2026)
- Supreme Court: Prathvi Raj Chauhan v Union of India (2020)
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court dismisses challenge to the 2018 amendment (September 2026)
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