Confirming the numbers, Bhandara District Collector Indra Malo Jain said, “After the brutal Khairlanji incident, the issue had become emotive and may have led to more awareness among SCs and STs. That could be a reason for the spurt.” Asked if it signified growing inter-caste tensions, Jain said, “The social frame has become agitated and underlying tensions have become sharply outlined.”

Regarding measures undertaken by the administration to tackle the situation, she said. “We are seeing to it that all cases are immediately probed. On the first Monday of every month, we have a review of POA cases.”

The rise in POA offences have risen particularly more in Bhandara city and tahsil places of Lakhandur, Paoni and Tumsar.

Incidentally, Bhandara is one of the 100 most backward districts in the country where Rashtriya Samvikas Yojana is being implemented.

Post-Khairlanji, the caste divide is sharper in Bhandara. Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal had raked up a 10-year-old girl’s rape and murder case in which a Scheduled Caste was the accused. The city had observed a tense bandh demanding his arrest about two months ago.

Last month, Rajen Gajbhiye, brother of Siddharth Gajbhiye, a family friend of Bhotmange family lodged a complaint against local NCP MLA Nana Panchabuddhe alleging caste abuses by the latter. Panchabuddhe had accused the Gajbhiyes of witch-hunting.

In a weird turn of events, former Inspector General of Police Sudhakar Suradkar had come from Mumbai to Bhandara to lodge a complaint against Special Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxalite Operations) under POA, alleging false indiction of Assistant Public Prosecutor Leena Gajbhiye and Deputy Superintendent of Police H V Susadkar in his probe report. No offence, however, has been registered against Gupta.