SATISH HANDA
Act to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (ST/SC) enacted to prohibit discrimination was enfaced on January 30, 1990 by Department of Social Justice and Empowerment flooded police stations with complaints and cases in courts in Haryana state. Information reveals, nearly 10% increase in such criminal cases in courts is being recorded every year in past three years by the victims belonging to SC/ST communities demanding justice as regard suffered trauma and torture in this respect. Expressing deep concern over increasing cases Haryana state government is going to have a state level vigilance monitoring meeting at Chandigarh presided by Manohar Lal Khatter Chief Minister.
According to official records, total number of 3378 complaints as regard trauma and torture to community has been lodged in police stations in the state in past three years. Not only in Haryana state, but similar type of 11829 cases have also been registered in neighbouring state U.P and 55.6% increase in such cases has been recorded in this period in Rajasthan state also. The recent case in Haryana reported in top police bureaucrats in which complaint by a senior IPS officer of IGP rank Y. Purankumar against Director General Police Haryana Manoj Yadav was lodged with police at Ambala allegedly suffered trauma and torture due to objectionable remarks made by him on community when he visited a temple inside a police station in the district and in-spite of police investigation the case has not been registered so far and the incident attracting headlines in newspapers at present.
Past three years scenario as regard cases registered under Prevention of Atrocities Act undergoing in courts in Haryana state allegedly physical and mental torture reveals that 1028 FIRs were registered by the police at various police stations in the state during year 2018, of these investigation is going on in 12 cases whereas 335 cases of complaints were found fake and dismissed in courts, 16 cases were untraced and in 42 cases SC/ST Act was withdrawn. Out of total number of 1129 cases registered under Prevention of Atrocities Act -1989 in Haryana state in 2019 investigation is going on in 19 cases, whereas 380 cases were cancelled, SC/ST Act was withdrawn in 50 cases, challan for 669 cases was produced in the court, alleged accused were sentenced imprisonment in three case and remaining 624 cases are still under trial in courts. During year 2020, the number of cases registered under Prevention of Atrocities Act was identified as 1223 in which 323 cases are under investigation at present, 420 cases were rejected, SC/ST Act was withdrawn in 37 cases and 431 cases are yet under trail in courts.
