Visakhapatnam: While the debate on sedition cases continues, in the aftermath of the JNU incidents, the National Crime Records Bureau data says that a total of 47 cases were registered under Section 124A, which deals with the subject, in 2014.
Of this, 34 cases, or nearly 70 per cent, were registered in Jharkhand, 18, and Bihar, 16. Five cases were registered in Kerala, two each in Odisha and West Bengal and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.
Out of the 512 cases under various sub-sections in Section 124, a bulk were related to promoting enmity between groups. The data indicates that only 9 per cent of offences against the state were sedition-related.
Fifty eight persons, including three women were arrested under sedition charges in 2014. All the three women were arrested in Odisha.
Twenty eight persons were arrested in Bihar for 16 cases and 18 persons in Jharkhand. Not a single person was arrested in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
AP sixth in offences promoting enmity between communities
With 21 cases, Andhra Padesh stood sixth in offences related to promoting enmity between different groups under Section 153 A and 153B of the IPC in 2014.
Police officials said the incidents had taken place during agitations against and for division of Andhra Pradesh at the beginning of 2014.
In all, 336 cases relating to offences of promoting enmity between different groups were registered. Forty two persons were arrested in AP.
The NCRB data says a total of 336 cases were reported under offences promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth and a few others under Section 153A of IPC during 2014.
Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh reported 59 cases, 46 cases, 39 cases, 31 cases, 25 cases and 21 cases respectively. Majority of the cases under Section 153A of IPC were registered in four states — Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
