India News | Prodded by National Panel, Assam Lodges First SC Atrocity Case After 2021

Guwahati, Feb 14 (PTI) Prodded by National Commission for Scheduled Cast Vice Chairman Arun Halder, the Assam Police on Tuesday registered one case of atrocity against an SC woman in Lakhimpur district, the first such case after 2021.

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The was lodged after Halder reviewed the overall scenario of SC communities in Assam with different stakeholders.

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Addressing a press conference here, he said: "After I took charge around two years back, only one case from Assam was registered with us. This is shocking. Either there is no atrocity on SC people or there is lack of awareness."

After the review meeting, attended by Chief Secretary, DGP and various NGOs, the police registered a case under various sections of the IPC and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he added.

"This particular case was highlighted by one NGO. About one year back, one SC lady was tortured by 20 people and the police didn't file a case under the Act. She was running from pillar to post to get justice. I instructed the DGP to register the case immediately and it was done," Halder said.

He said that the Assam government has been directed to carry out an awareness drive among the police as well as the general public about the legal safeguards that SC people enjoy in the country.

Halder also said that PSU lender State Bank of India was issued a notice over offering very limited loans to people from the SC communities in Assam.

"Around seven per cent of Assam's population are SC, but SBI gave only 2.47 per cent loans to the people from the community. We asked them why it is happening and reply in three months what can be done to correct this," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)