BENGALURU: Cases of atrocity against the SC/ST community continue to be filed in the state, but the rate of conviction is abysmally low. Since 2015, of the 9,702 cases reported, only 46 have led to conviction, which is a mere 0.47 per cent.
In 2019, of the 1,862 cases reported, there have been no convictions, though the Act specifies that police have to complete the investigation within 60 days of filing the FIR and court trials should end within another 60 days.
ADGP, Department of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), Ramachandra Rao, said, “Many cases, are settled out of court, especially those involving daily wage workers. If the court takes up cases where the issue of wage is involved, the victim may feel that he is losing work and prefer to settle it out-of-court.”
Other reasons include witnesses turning hostile. “Once the trial starts, which could drag for over a year, witnesses tend to avoid conflict and turn hostile,” he said, adding that lapses in the investigation too add to low conviction rates. Social Welfare Department Commissioner RS Peddappaiah said, “Witnesses turning hostile is a major reason for SC/ST cases turning weak.”
As per the 2017 National Crime Records Bureau report, Karnataka was at the top spot for atrocities against SC/STs. Bengaluru among cities too had the ignominious top spot.
Depending on the intensity of the case, the compensation ranges from Rs 85,000 to Rs 8.25 lakh. Since 2016, 36 people have got jobs in the public sector and Rs 131 crore has been distributed as compensation to victims or kin.