An atrocity a day in Maharashtra

In the first seven days of 2021, Maharashtra police have recorded a total of 11 cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989. The cases have been registered in nine districts, including Dhule, Nanded, Pune (rural), Satara, Latur, Ahmednagar, Navi Mumbai and Thane City, from January 1 to 7, 2021.

The data has been compiled by the Data Lab for Annihilation of Caste by Manuski. Speaking about the procedure of filing FIRs under the Act, Prachi Salve of Manuski said that the complaints are not registered by the police on time. “Even during the lockdown, we came across several cases wherein the police would not register FIRs without pressuring them. Victims and survivors have to go through many challenges just to get their case filed,” Salve said.

As far as the cases in the first week of January 2021 are concerned, while two atrocity cases each were lodged in the districts of Dhule and Satara, the rest of the districts had one case each registered under the act until January 7th.

“It is mandatory for Police (all over India) to upload FIRs online, except sensitive cases, as per directions in the order dated September 7th, 2016 by the Supreme Court in Writ petition (Crl.) No. 68 of 2016. The Data Lab has observed a discrepancy in following this order. Yet, it is an important tool and most of the police stations in the state of Maharashtra are abiding by the directions of the apex court,” the statement released by the Data Lab read.

Citing the example of the case in Pune’s Pimple Gurav, where a Dalit youth was murdered in an alleged case of honour killing, Salve says that there was a delay in the registration of that case even in a city like Pune. “It’s worse in the rural areas of the state,” she adds.

The Data Lab will be coming up with the details of the cases filed under the PoA every week now. “Daily, weekly and monthly updates will help us channelise the administration into efficiently taking cognizance of these cases,” Salve says.