Odisha government plans 20 new police stations dedicated to SC/ST cases under the PoA Act to ensure faster, effective investigations and justice delivery
OdishaPlus Bureau
In an effort to ensure prompt, timely, and effective investigations into crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the state government is planning to establish specialized police stations to handle such cases throughout the state.
Sources indicate that the ADG of the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) submitted a proposal to the government last month for the creation of 20 new ‘Anusuchit Jati O Janjati’ police stations aimed at investigating cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Additionally, the ADG has requested the formation of a three-tier ‘Anusuchit Jati O Janjati’ division at the Odisha Police Headquarters. This central unit will be responsible for addressing crimes against SC/ST communities, supervising departmental responses, ensuring accurate case registrations, and facilitating timely and effective investigations. In response, the Home Department has requested the DGP to provide his insights on the proposal to enable further action in this regard.
According to available data, approximately 10,349 cases under the SC and ST (PoA) Act were recorded in the state from 2022 to 2024. Police districts, including Jajpur, Cuttack (rural), Kendrapara, Balangir, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Puri, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Bhubaneswar UPD, Bargarh, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, and Balasore have consistently reported over 100 cases in the past three years.
Despite the rising number of case registrations, Odisha currently has only one special police station at the state level dedicated to addressing SC/ST atrocities, which is a stark contrast to neighboring states such as Jharkhand (24 special police stations) and Chhattisgarh (27 special police stations).
In the proposal, the ADG HRPC further emphasized that currently, SDPOs and DSPs are assigned the duty of investigating cases filed under the SC/ST (PoA) Act. However, due to their extensive responsibilities, they frequently do not complete investigations within the mandated timeframe of 60 days. This delay often results in witnesses becoming hostile, in addition to a subsequent increase in acquittal rates.
“The state government can authorize inspector-rank officers to arrest individuals charged under the SC/ST (PoA) Act, carry out investigations, and submit chargesheets in the special courts,” stated the proposal.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment administers a centrally-sponsored initiative for the enforcement of SC and ST (PoA) Rules, 1989, and the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955, at the state level. As part of this initiative, Odisha has been allocated `35.81 crore for the prevention of atrocities against STs and SCs, as well as for providing compensation to victims, for the fiscal year 2024-25 (as of March 3 of this year).