Bihar, Maharashtra, Haryana lead in communal riot cases

New Delhi: A total of 1,807 communal riot cases were registered in different parts of the country during 2018-2020 in which 8,565 people were arrested, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Replying to a written question in the Upper House, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the highest number of communal riot cases were registered in Bihar, followed by Maharashtra and Haryana.

A total of 512 communal riot cases were registered across India in 2018, 438 in 2019 and 857 in 2020, Rai noted. While 4,097 people were arrested for riots in 2018 in different parts of the country, 2,405 people were arrested in 2019 and 2,063 in 2020, he said. A total of 4,169 people were charge-sheeted in 2018, 2,281 in 2019 and 1,908 in 2020, he added.

Altogether, 200 people were convicted for the riots in 2018, 332 in 2019 and 229 in 2020.

In Bihar, 419 riot cases were registered in the said three years, in which 2,777 people were arrested, 2,316 charge-sheeted and 62 were convicted.

In Maharashtra, 167 riot cases were registered in the three years, in which 1,332 people were arrested, 1,324 charge-sheeted and 10 were convicted. In Haryana, 146 riot cases were registered in the three years, in which 294 people were arrested. All of them were charge-sheeted and just three convicted.