{"id":47607,"date":"2025-07-10T19:31:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T14:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=47607"},"modified":"2025-07-29T13:01:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T07:31:24","slug":"custodial-brutality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/10-07-2025\/custodial-brutality","title":{"rendered":"Custodial Brutality in India and Criminal Justice Reform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> recent surge in custodial deaths<\/strong> across various Indian states has brought the spotlight back on a dark and persistent issue: the <strong>abuse of power by law enforcement authorities<\/strong> and the systemic failure of India\u2019s criminal justice system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Custodial Brutality: A Grim Reality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is classified as a \u201chigh risk\u201d country for systemic torture and custodial brutality, according to the Global Torture Index 2025. Custodial violence\u2014including torture, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful detentions\u2014remains widespread and disproportionately affects marginalized communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>2024 <\/strong>alone, the<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/national-human-rights-commission-nhrc\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/national-human-rights-commission-nhrc\/\"> National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)<\/a><\/strong> reported 2,739 custodial deaths, a steep rise from 2,400 in 2023. Over 75% of India\u2019s prisoners are under-trials, and prison overcrowding stands at 131.4%.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>bedrock of Article 21<\/strong> is eroded when a citizen in state custody dies due to torture. Custodial deaths reflect a dereliction of the duty of care owed by the state.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal and Institutional Gaps: Why Police Torture Persists in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Normalisation of Violence: <\/strong>These deaths are not aberrations but the result of a system where force is routine and accountability is rare. The police, often under pressure and lacking support, resort to violence as a tool of control rather than justice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Misplaced Priorities in Policing: <\/strong>Despite massive annual budgets for policing, investment in welfare, training, and psychological care for officers is negligible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outdated Training: <\/strong>Police training curricula remain rooted in pre-liberalisation models, lacking focus on ethics, human rights, trauma-informed investigation, and community policing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No Specific Law on Torture:<\/strong> India lacks a national law explicitly criminalizing torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment (CIDTP).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Obligations:<\/strong> India has not ratified the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) or its Optional Protocol.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impunity and Weak Accountability:<\/strong> State Police Complaint Authorities, mandated by the <strong>Prakash Singh judgment (2006)<\/strong>, remain weak or non-existent in most states.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ineffective Oversight: <\/strong>Supreme Court-mandated installation of CCTV cameras in police stations is poorly implemented, with most cameras either absent or not meeting required standards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Victim Protection:<\/strong> There are inadequate victim and witness protection laws, discouraging reporting and redressal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Constitutional and Legal Protections<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Constitutional &amp; Legal Protections:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 21:<\/strong> Right to life and personal liberty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 22:<\/strong> Protection against arbitrary arrest and detention.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Custodial Torture<\/strong> is governed by legal provisions under the <strong>Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. <\/strong>It defines the framework for detaining individuals during investigations while balancing individual liberty and effective law enforcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Indian Evidence Act, 1872<\/strong> excludes confessions obtained through coercion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Interventions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>D.K. Basu Guidelines (1996):<\/strong> Supreme Court laid down <strong>11 mandatory procedures<\/strong> for arrest and detention, including medical checks, arrest memos, and informing relatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nilabati Behera vs. State of Orissa (1993):<\/strong> Landmark case where the Court awarded compensation for custodial death, reinforcing accountability under Article 21.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PUCL vs. Union of India (2005):<\/strong> Directed installation of CCTV cameras in police lockups to ensure transparency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NHRC Guidelines (2025 Update):<\/strong> It mandated that all custodial deaths be reported within 24 hours, with post-mortem and inquiry reports submitted within two months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Smart Policing Initiatives:<\/strong> Government platforms outline efforts to modernize policing, including digital surveillance and training reforms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Path Forward: Reforms Needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reallocate Resources:<\/strong> Dedicate at least 5% of the policing budget to mental health units, regular counselling, and sensitisation courses.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Institutionalise mental wellness as an essential, not optional, part of law enforcement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transform Police Training:<\/strong> Revamp the curriculum to include ethics, human rights, trauma-informed methods, and community engagement.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make refresher courses and sensitisation mandatory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legislative Clarity and Accountability:<\/strong> Enact a comprehensive anti-custodial violence law with:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Time-bound investigations,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandatory video recording of interrogations,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Independent oversight by civil society.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leverage Technology for Transparency:<\/strong> Ensure all custody areas have operational, tamper-proof CCTV cameras with real-time audits.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use digital systems to monitor and prevent abuse, not just record it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reimagine the Police Role:<\/strong> Shift the image of the police from authority enforcers to public servants, upholding empathy, restraint, and responsibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> In what ways does custodial brutality reflect broader systemic failures within India\u2019s criminal justice framework, and how might meaningful reform restore public trust and institutional integrity?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/end-custodial-brutality-begin-criminal-justice-reform\/article69792975.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-10-July-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent surge in custodial deaths across various Indian states has brought the spotlight back on a dark and persistent issue: the abuse of power by law enforcement authorities and the systemic failure of India\u2019s criminal justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47607"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49519,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47607\/revisions\/49519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}