CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu recorded 1,777 cases of crimes against Scheduled Caste community members in 2024, down 7.5% from 1,921 cases in 2023, the NCRB’s Crime in India 2024 report show. However, the figure remained slightly higher than the 1,761 cases recorded in 2022.
Among the cases reported in 2024, 65 murder cases involving 67 SC victims were registered. Tamil Nadu’s reported murder rate against SC members stood at 0.5 per lakh of SC population, higher than the national average of 0.4.
The state also recorded 40 attempt-to-murder cases involving 48 victims. Cases involving hurt and grievous hurt against SC victims stood at 194.
Violence against SC women also remained significant. Tamil Nadu registered 137 rape cases against SC women in 2024, including 91 involving child victims.
Further, the NCRB data points to the gap between police investigation and court outcomes. While Tamil Nadu’s charge-sheeting rate in crimes reported against SC members stood at 84.3% (above the national average of 82%), its conviction rate was only 11.9% -- lower than the national average of 33.9%.
Meanwhile, the reporting of crimes against Scheduled Tribe (ST) community members also increased in the state. Tamil Nadu recorded 55 cases against ST members in 2024, up from 48 in 2023. This, however, is lower than the 67 cases registered in 2022.
Further, three murder cases involving ST victims were registered during the year. In cases involving crimes against ST members, only one conviction was recorded in 2024. With these, Tamil Nadu accounted for 3.2% of the total reported cases in the country.