New Delhi: Jaipur has emerged as a hotspot for crimes against SCs and STs, recording sharp spikes in crimes against both communities. The city reported the second-highest crimes against SCs and the highest against STs in 2023 among metros, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
Between 2021 and 2023, cases against Scheduled Castes in the Pink City rose 35 per cent, from 361 to 489. Crimes against Scheduled Tribes went up 47 per cent, from 155 to 228, in the same period.
Data from ‘Crime in India 2023’ shows caste-based offences rising in several metropolitan cities. Apart from Jaipur, Bengaluru too reports high numbers of cases against both SCs and STs
The Silicon Valley of India saw 166 crimes against Dalits in 2021 and 285 in 2023. It also reported 15 crimes against Scheduled Tribes, ranking fifth among metros after Jaipur (228), Hyderabad (30), Ahmedabad and Surat (18 each), and Indore (16).
Jaipur and Bengaluru also report comparatively low rates of chargesheets being filed. Bengaluru’s chargesheeting rate for SC and ST cases stood at 65.1 per cent and 50 per cent respectively in 2023, while Jaipur’s was just 28.9 per cent for SC cases and 26.1 per cent for ST cases.
Both cities saw the bulk of their SC cases in crimes against women, including rape and assault with intent to outrage modesty, followed by ‘simple hurt’.
In the last three years, Lucknow has also seen a surge in caste crimes. In 2023, it recorded the highest number of crimes against SCs among cities: 517. Between 2021 and 2023, Lucknow’s cases rose nearly 93 per cent. Cumulatively, over the last three years, the highest number of crimes against SCs were recorded in Jaipur (1,231), Lucknow (1,205), Kanpur (804) and Bengaluru (682).
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Regional trends
Nationally, the crime rate against SCs in 2023 was 28.7 cases per lakh SC population. Rajasthan reported the highest rate at 122.6 per lakh. Uttar Pradesh recorded the largest number of total crimes against Scheduled Castes, at 15,130.
Manipur—embroiled in conflict between Kuki-Zo and Meitei groups since 2023—recorded 3,399 crimes against STs, the highest in the country; it was negligible in the two previous years. The national capital Delhi ranks 10th among metros for crimes against STs.
The NCRB data also shows regional contrasts for SCs. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh contribute heavily to the national tally, while southern states like Kerala, with relatively small SC populations, show disproportionately high rates per lakh.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)