Crime against weaker section of the society in India: A study of scheduled caste and scheduled tribes

National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi publishes detailed crime statistics in an annual report called Crime in India. Published since 1953, the guide serves as a comprehensive reference source for the country's policy-makers, law enforcement agencies, and citizen stakeholders. Crime in India 2011 includes data that relates specifically to ‘Crime Against persons belonging to SCs/STs.’ According to the report, The year 2011 has witnessed an increase in crime against Scheduled Castes as 33,594 cases reported in the year 2010 have increased to 33,719 cases in the year 2011. This increase was observed in all heads except Dacoity, Robbery and Hurt. The Cases of Murder, Rape, Kidnapping & Abduction and Arson in the year 2011 have increased by 18.1%, 15.4%, 20.5% and 12.7% respectively over the year 2010. On the other hand Dacoity, Robbery and Hurt have shown a decrease of 14.3%, 28.0% and 2.9% respectively during the year 2011 over the year 2010. Uttar Pradesh has accounted for 22.8% (7,702 cases) of the total 33,719 cases reported in the country followed by Rajasthan (15.4%) (5,182 cases), Andhra Pradesh (11.9%) (4,016) and Bihar (10.7%) (3,623). the rate of crime against Scheduled Castes has remained static at 2.8 in the years 2011 as compare to the year 2010. Rajasthan has reported the highest crime rate of 7.6 in the year 2011 followed by Andhra Pradesh (5.1), Madhya Pradesh (4.5), Karnataka (4.1) and Uttar Pradesh (3.9) against the National average of 2.8.