Anusuchit Jati Janjati Kalyan Branch Madhya Pradesh Police

This report assesses the Anusuchit Jati JanJati Kalyan Branch (AJK) branch of the Madhya Pradesh Police that oversees police response to crimes against the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the state. The review focuses on: the branch structure in terms of its composition;departmental processes relating to supervision, reporting, records maintenance and training; and policies guiding the branch functions including crime registration, investigation and community outreach.

Despite over 20 years of existence, the role and impact of the AJK branch remains limited. To some extent, the existence of AJK police stations in every district has encouraged reporting of offences. The branch is further recognised both by the police and representatives of the community as pivotal for instilling trust within the SC and ST communities, facilitating access to justice and providing safety. Its effectiveness, however, is constrained by inadequate authority vested with the specially created supervising posts within the branch, poor coordination between AJK police station and local police stations, a pervading sense that the AJK branch is not valued within the department,and, above all, deep-rooted attitudes and prejudice which need urgent recognition and addressing to yield better outcomes.