Bhubaneswar: A total of 2,483 cases of atrocities against individuals from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities have been registered in various police stations across Odisha over the past nine months, a Minister for ST & SC Development, Minorities, and Backward Classes Welfare Nityananda Gond informed the State Assembly on Friday.
Providing a written response to a query by BJD MLA Sanjib Kumar Mallick, Minister Gond stated that these cases were recorded between June 2024 and February 2025 under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Notably, this period follows the formation of the BJP-led Odisha government on June 12, 2024, ending the 24-year rule of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government.
According to the Minister’s data, Jajpur district reported the highest number of atrocity cases (269), followed by Cuttack Rural (159), Jagatsinghpur (157), Bolangir (156), and Puri (153). Other districts with significant case numbers include Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (138), Bhadrak (126), Kendrapara (125), and Mayurbhanj (100). The remaining police districts reported fewer than 100 cases during this period. On average, 218 to 316 such cases were registered each month, Gond stated.
Gond informed the Assembly that cases of atrocities against SCs and STs are being investigated by officers of DSP rank. Additionally, the government provides compensation to victims after a joint investigation by the police and revenue department officials.
