Justice to Dalit and Prevention of Atrocities Act: An Empirical Review

Abstract

The egalitarianism of their dream is utopia but anyhow a statute under Article 14 of the Constitution which states that all persons irrespective of any factor is equal before the law. This paper, though in its limited word frame, will deal with the Dalit atrocities as they face in getting justice and how far has the Indian legal system been up-to-the-mark in providing for the atrocity and equality in the society. The Prevention of Atrocities Act will also be discussed, as it is the prima facie factor for the prevention of inequality in the eyes of law.

Introduction

The text examines the persistent caste-based discrimination and atrocities faced by Dalits in India, highlighting the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities. Dalits continue to suffer systemic injustice, where crimes against them are underreported, poorly investigated, or delayed due to entrenched caste bias within society and the justice system. Although Article 17 of the Indian Constitution abolishes untouchability and Articles 14, 15, and 39-A guarantee equality, affirmative action, and legal aid, their practical enforcement remains weak.

Using NCRB data, the text shows a rising trend in crimes against Scheduled Castes, with significant concentration in states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar. It argues that Dalits often bear an unfair burden of proof, face institutional apathy, and are denied timely justice due to social prejudice, financial constraints, and procedural barriers.

The paper critically analyzes the Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989, noting that while the Act was designed to protect Dalits through special courts and strict penalties, its implementation is deeply flawed. Monitoring mechanisms are largely ineffective, officials frequently neglect their duties, and victims are often unaware of their rights. The PoA Amendment Act, 2014 sought to address these gaps by strengthening victim protections, accountability of officials, and monitoring structures, but systemic problems such as delays, low conviction rates, and inadequate compensation persist.

The case study of Swapnil, a Dalit teenager murdered due to caste prejudice, illustrates the profound failure of law enforcement and institutions to protect Dalits, reinforcing the argument that legal safeguards, though robust on paper, remain largely ineffective in practice due to societal and systemic bias.

Conclusion

The Dalit community has always been on the verge of getting justice delayed. This is due to the narrow approach and backward thinking of lawmakers and jurists, stuck in the old Vedic timeframe of caste scrutiny. All that has been mentioned above reflects the provisions available to protect Dalits from atrocities. But the point is — how far are they being applied and implemented? The day-to-day discrimination of the Dalits and the inequalities they face at modern institutions are never-ending. The research essentially highlights an inconsistency: though AI grips huge control to transform HRM, it is depending upon the meeting of structural, technical, and human basics. Corporations must deploy AI sensibly, detection a poise among invention, morals, scheme honesty, and employee appointment. The core impediment is not the absence of robust laws, but the deep-rooted casteist mindset that permeates the law enforcement and judicial machinery. The government should create awareness about the rights of Dalits so that they can approach courts and other legal parameters that could be easily addressed. A country like India, which is secular and provides for a welfare state, must include the subaltern classes of its society so that there is far more equality than what is present in real and contemporary India.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Sunil Bharadwaj, Dr. S. P. Mishra, Dr. Falaknaz Shaikh. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.