1 in 3 convicts, undertrials in TN prisons are from scheduled castes

CHENNAI: One in three convicts and undertrial prisoners in Tamil Nadu’s prisons are from the Scheduled Castes (SCs), the highest proportion recorded among all states in the country, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s Prison Statistics India 2023.

The report highlights the disproportionate incarceration of SC communities in the state, far exceeding their share of the population.

Among convicts, SCs account for over 31 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s prison population, nearly double the national average of 17.6 per cent. Only Himachal Pradesh (29.96 per cent) and Punjab (28.86 per cent) come close among states, if Union Territories such as Chandigarh (37 per cent) are excluded.

For undertrials, Tamil Nadu tops the list with over 31 per cent, followed by Uttarakhand (31.13 per cent), Haryana (30.42 per cent) and Punjab (30.16 per cent). The national average is 17.2 per cent.

Scheduled Tribes (STs), on the other hand, form just 2.82 per cent of convicts and 2.49 per cent of undertrials in Tamil Nadu, far below the national averages of 19.6 per cent and 22.1 per cent, respectively.

The disparity is even sharper in the case of detainees, where SCs constitute 42.17 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s total, more than three times the national average of 11.95 per cent. In the category of “other prisoners”, half of the inmates in the state are SCs, compared with 15.4 per cent nationally.

Placed against demographic data, the disproportionality becomes starker. SCs form 20 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s population but between 31 and 50 per cent of its prisoners. STs, who comprise only one per cent of the State’s population, remain under-represented in custody. At the national level, SCs constitute 16.6 per cent of the population and STs 8.6 per cent, figures that are lower than their presence in prisons.

Calling the disproportionate presence of scheduled caste persons in prisons as alarming, VCK general secretary and Villupuram MP D Ravikumar said that it shows the inherent bias in law enforcement in the state. “If the SC numbers are high in Tamil Nadu, muslim prisoners are disproportionately high in numbers in other states,” he said, adding that there are many false cases filed against the scheduled caste members.

He noted that conviction rates in the cases filed under the Prevention of Atrocities Act, a special act to protect the scheduled castes, continue to be poor despite the opening of special courts.

He stressed the need for continuous sensitisation programmes for the police personnel, as they were also a product of the casteist society. “The chief minister should take up the issue seriously and immediately address it,” he said.

By comparison, states such as Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, with significant tribal populations, record higher proportions of ST inmates, reflecting demographic realities. Tamil Nadu, however, stands out for the consistent over-representation of SCs across all categories.

Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front vice-president Samuel Raj said that police can easily file false cases against the scheduled caste and scheduled tribes. “Even if a scheduled caste person who is a victim of caste atrocity files a case, the police accepts a counter case from the person who committed the atrocity and books the Dalits,” he said.

OBCs make up the majority of prisoners in the state, ranging from 54 to 64 per cent, significantly higher than the national averages of 29 to 42 per cent.

The NCRB data underline concerns long raised by rights groups that caste-based vulnerabilities and socio-economic disadvantages translate into disproportionate incarceration rates for marginalised communities.

Population vs Prison Share

SC population

TN: 20% India: 16.6%

ST population

TN: 1% India: 8.6%

SC in prisons

TN: 31–50% across categories

India: 17–31% across categories

ST in prisons

TN: 2-3% India: 12-22%

(As per NCRB Prison Statistics 2023)

BEHIND BARS

Tamil Nadu has the highest share of SC undertrials and convicts among states

OBCs form the largest group in TN’s prisons (54-64%), well above the national average

‘Others’ (forward castes) form 1-6% of inmates in TN, compared with 30-38% nationally