346 People Arrested in J&K under UAPA IN 2020 Second Highest in India, Reveals MHA

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revealed that 346 persons were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir under stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2020, making it the region with second highest number of arrests in India.

Uttar Pradesh reported highest number of 361 arrests as per the data shared by MHA . UP, J&K and Manipur have recorded total 70 percent of arrests made under UAPA in the country.

In comparison to 2019, J&K has witnessed an increase in UAPA arrests in 2020.

A total of 573 persons have been arrested under the UAPA between 2019 and 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Minister of State for Home NityanandRai said in a written reply that as per the National Crime Record Bureau’s report, “the number of persons arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the years 2019 and 2020 are 1,948 and 1,321 respectively.”

In another reply, Rai said that since 2016, 7,243 persons were arrested under UAPA and during the same period 212 persons were convicted. As many as 286 cases ended in acquittal, 25 cases were abated and 42 cases were discharged by courts, it said.

“ There has been a 32.18 percent dip in the number of people arrested across the country under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) between 2019 and 2020, while the number of those acquitted under the law has shot up by 26 per cent, the RajyaSabha was informed on Wednesday.

In response to a question, Minister of State for Home Affairs NityanandRai presented data showing that 1,948 people were arrested under the Act in 2019 while in 2020, the number dropped to 1,321.

The minister said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles the data on crime as reported to it by the states and Union Territories, and publishes the same in its annual publication ‘Crime in India’.