Jammu & Kashmir made 1,206 of India’s 2,914 UAPA arrests in 2023.
The UT recorded only 10 convictions, marking a 0.8% rate.
Uttar Pradesh logged 1,122 UAPA arrests, the second-highest in the country.
J&K Made 42% Of India’s UAPA Arrests In 2023; Convictions Fell Below 1%
Government data placed before Parliament shows Jammu & Kashmir leading UAPA arrests while recording only 10 convictions last year
Summary
Jammu and Kashmir accounted for the largest share of arrests under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2023, with newly released government data showing that the Union Territory alone made more than two-fifths of all UAPA detentions recorded nationwide.
According to Free Press Kashmir, fresh figures placed before Parliament on Wednesday showed that out of 2,914 people arrested across India under the anti-terror law last year, 1,206 were from J&K. Despite this high volume of arrests, the Union Territory recorded only 10 convictions, translating to a conviction rate of 0.8 percent — among the lowest in the country.
Responding to a question from Congress MP Shafi Parambil, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that policing and public order remain state subjects, while nationwide arrest and conviction data are compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Free Press Kashmir reported that Rai also clarified that the NCRB does not maintain state-wise numbers on how many people are currently lodged in prison under UAPA.
The figures tabled in Parliament further showed that J&K accounted for 98 percent of all UAPA arrests made across the Union Territories in 2023. In comparison, the 28 states collectively recorded 1,686 arrests, while the seven Union Territories together logged 1,228 arrests.
Uttar Pradesh reported the second-highest number of UAPA arrests last year with 1,122 cases — more than twice the 503 recorded in 2022, Free Press Kashmir reported. J&K, meanwhile, saw only a marginal decline from 1,238 arrests in 2022 to 1,206 in 2023. Delhi registered 22 arrests, five fewer than the previous year. Nationally, the conviction rate under UAPA stood at 4 percent.
In a separate written reply, Rai reiterated the Centre’s “zero-tolerance policy” toward activities threatening India’s sovereignty, unity or security. He stated that strict action continues under UAPA to curb extremist and separatist networks. Over the past five years, the government has designated 23 organisations as “Unlawful Associations,” several of which are linked to terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast.
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(With inputs from Free Press Kashmir)
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