Published on 10 Oct 2025
The Union government disclosed that "habitual offender" laws remain active in 14 States and Union Territories, despite the Supreme Court's recent concerns about their misuse against denotified tribes (DNTs).
These laws have colonial origins, notably the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) of 1871, which labeled certain communities as inherently criminal.
A habitual offender is a person repeatedly convicted of crimes, often subject to stricter surveillance or penalties under special laws
Although the CTA was repealed in 1952, it was succeeded by the Habitual Offenders Act (HOA) 1952, perpetuating biases against DNTs.
Following the repeal, the communities previously identified as "criminal tribes" were reclassified as "denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes" (DNTs, NTs, SNTs).
The HOA, 1952 shifted the focus from classifying entire communities as prone to crime to identifying individuals based on their criminal records.
Various committees, including the Criminal Tribes Act Enquiry Committee (1949–50) and the B.S. Renke Commission (2008), have criticized these laws for reinforcing stigma.
In October 2024, the Supreme Court deemed such classifications "constitutionally suspect" and urged states to reconsider their continuation.
Habitual Offenders Laws
Habitual Offenders
denotified tribes
DNTs
Criminal Tribes Act
CTA
Renke Commission
Unity in diversity