Chennai: With the state government notifying the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules 2016, the SC/ST victim of gangrape, murder or an acid attack will now get a minimum compensation of '8.5 lakh from the government.
The Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare department has published the amendment to the SC/ST (POA) rules 2016, which makes more stringent the provisions against atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, notified by the Centre in gazette on October 25. The amended rules specify as many as 47 categories of offences in which states will pay compensation ranging from Rs 85,000 to Rs8.25 lakh to SC/ST victims. The rules last amended in 2011 had provisions for only 22 kinds of offences.
“Newly amended Act has defined 180 types of untouchability and atrocities committed against dalits and tribals whereas the old Act was focused only on 22 atrocities,” said A. Kathir, executive director of Evidence, a Madurai based human rights organisation.
The amendments have brought new offences under the Act. They include tonsuring of head and moustache of members of the SCs and STs, denial of entry into places of worship, garlanding them with chappals, compelling them to do manual scavenging or to dispose of or carry animal carcasses, or dig graves, imposing social or economic boycott on the community, preventing them from filing of nomination for elections, and using of words, acts or gestures of a sexual nature. Moreover, wrongfully occupying land belonging to the SCs or STs and dispossessing them of their land are offences under the amendment.
The enhanced amounts now must be paid by the state within seven days of the incident being reported, either in full or at various stages of the investigation and trial, as per a schedule. District magistrates have been authorised to immediately withdraw money from state treasuries for the same and courts empowered to also order socio-economic rehabilitation.
The police will now have to file a chargesheet in cases of SC/ST victims within 60 days and any delay has to be explained in writing by the officers. “To ensure speedy trail of the cases, the act has specified that order should be issued within two months of filing chargesheet. Besides, this is the first act in the country to mention the rights of victims,” Mr Kathir told DC.
