Violence
How caste licenses everyday violence, how the state and law respond, and how Dalits resist.
Courts & Verdicts
Tracker
Atrocity Justice: the conviction gap
Of every 100 atrocity cases that reach the courts in a year, how many end in a conviction, how many in an acquittal, and how many are still waiting at the year’s end?
Exhibit 2
Two conviction measures, all India, 2015 to 2024, per cent. NCRB’s rate counts only trials that finished.
- 201527.2%3.2
- 201625.7%2.6
- 201735.3%2.9
- 201828.5%1.8
- 201932.1%2.0
- 202042.4%1.4
- 202136.0%1.4
- 202234.0%1.9
- 202331.9%1.9
- 202433.9%1.6
0%25%50%75%100%
| Year | NCRB conviction rate: of trials that finished | Convicted, of every 100 cases before the courts |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 27.2% | 3.2 |
| 2016 | 25.7% | 2.6 |
| 2017 | 35.3% | 2.9 |
| 2018 | 28.5% | 1.8 |
| 2019 | 32.1% | 2.0 |
| 2020 | 42.4% | 1.4 |
| 2021 | 36.0% | 1.4 |
| 2022 | 34.0% | 1.9 |
| 2023 | 31.9% | 1.9 |
| 2024 | 33.9% | 1.6 |
Police & Custody
Story
Police sent 82.0% of the atrocity cases they disposed of in 2024 to court, and closed 6,055 as false
Of the cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes the police investigate each year, how many are chargesheeted, how many are closed with a final report, and where?
Exhibit 1
Every case the police had to investigate in 2024, carried over or newly registered, by where it stood at the year’s end, all India. Chargesheeted cases are in the accent colour.
- Chargesheeted45,023
- Still under investigation at the year’s end17,164
- Final report: false6,055
- Final report: true but insufficient evidence, untraced or no clue2,013
- Final report: mistake of fact or of law, or civil dispute1,696
- Quashed at investigation stage77
Conviction Data
Story
13 untouchability cases under the PCR Act in 2024, down from 234 in 2017, and no conviction in court
How many cases are registered under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, the law against untouchability, and what happens to them with the police and in court?
Exhibit 1
13 cases were registered under the PCR Act across India in 2024, against 234 in 2017
Cases registered under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 for crimes against Scheduled Castes each year, all India.
| Year | Cases registered |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 234 |
| 2018 | 254 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 23 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2024 | 13 |
Story
Telangana’s courts convicted in 40 of the 8,761 atrocity cases before them in 2024
What happens to cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes in Telangana, from the police station to the verdict?
Exhibit 1
Every case before Telangana’s police in 2024, carried over, newly registered (2,059) or reopened, by where it stood at the year’s end. Chargesheeted cases are in the accent colour.
- Chargesheeted1,592
- Still under investigation at the year’s end958
- Final report: false377
- Final report: mistake of fact or of law, or civil dispute68
- Final report: true but insufficient evidence, untraced or no clue45
- Other: quashed, transferred, non-cognizable, abated or withdrawn5
Untouchability
Story
Untouchability in the data
How often do landlords and their agents refuse Dalit home-seekers, and how many households say untouchability is practised in their homes?