{"id":59848,"date":"2025-11-25T20:18:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T14:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=59848"},"modified":"2025-11-26T13:28:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T07:58:34","slug":"supreme-court-panel-flags-massive-custodial-death-probe-delays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-11-2025\/supreme-court-panel-flags-massive-custodial-death-probe-delays","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court Panel Flags Massive Custodial Death Probe Delays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and 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>A Supreme Court panel has released a <strong>comprehensive report on prison reforms, <\/strong>revealing deep systemic gaps in the investigation of custodial deaths.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Highlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Delays in custodial death probe:<\/strong> It highlighted <strong>severe delays in forensic examinations<\/strong> due to a <strong>52% staff vacancy in state forensic labs.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As a result, 1,237 enquiries into custodial deaths remained pending in district courts for over a year as of 2023.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prisoners who died in custody are often subject to <strong>lengthy investigations.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Issues in Prison Administration:<\/strong> Prison manuals refer to prison work related to conservancy and sanitation as <strong>\u2018menial\u2019 or \u2018work of degrading character<\/strong>\u2019, which perpetuates a hierarchical view of labour.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In some states, prison manuals continue to retain provisions which perpetuate caste-based prejudices by assigning prison work based on the caste identity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Disparity in Payments: <\/strong>Significant disparities exist in the daily wages paid to prisoners, with amounts ranging from Rs 20 in Mizoram to Rs 524 in Karnataka.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Several states pay prisoners much less than the prescribed minimum wage for their labour.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mental Health Care: <\/strong>The jail medical officers in most states have not received the required training in mental health care, which is a violation of the 2018 Mental Health Act and affects the well-being of inmates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delays in Judicial Process: <\/strong>Delays in the judicial process, especially for accused persons in custody for more than a year, are a significant challenge in India&#8217;s legal system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Custodial Deaths in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the National Human Rights Commission, there were <strong>11,650 deaths in custody in India between 2016 and 2022.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> alone has reported 2,630 custodial deaths, the highest in the country.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Magisterial Inquiries:<\/strong> A 2023 analysis of NHRC and government data reveals between 2017 and 2022, only 345 magisterial inquiries were ordered nationwide into custodial deaths, resulting in just 123 arrests.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vulnerable Groups:<\/strong> NHRC data reveals that 71% of custodial deaths between 1996 and 2018 involved detainees from poor or vulnerable backgrounds.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Custodial Deaths are Rampant in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Colonial Legacy of Policing: <\/strong>The Indian police system is still heavily influenced by the Police Act of 1861, designed for control rather than service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Accountability Mechanisms: <\/strong>Investigations into custodial deaths are often carried out by the same police department, leading to bias.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Torture as a Tool of Investigation: <\/strong>Due to poor training and lack of forensic infrastructure, police often resort to third-degree methods to extract confessions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Marginalisation and Vulnerable Groups: <\/strong>Most victims come from weaker socio-economic backgrounds. Lack of legal literacy and resources prevents families from seeking justice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor Implementation of Safeguards: <\/strong>Safeguards under Article 21 &amp; 22 of the Constitution, D.K. Basu guidelines (1997), NHRC directives, and Supreme Court judgments are often ignored.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mandatory requirements like medical examinations, arrest memos, and informing relatives are routinely violated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Erosion of Rule of Law: <\/strong>It shows that constitutional safeguards that Article 21 \u2013 Right to Life, Article 22 \u2013 Protection against arbitrary arrest are being routinely violated.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This undermines public confidence in the justice system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Rights Image: <\/strong>Internationally, India faces criticism in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/08-04-2022\/united-nations-human-rights-council-unhrc\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/08-04-2022\/united-nations-human-rights-council-unhrc\">UNHRC<\/a>, Human Rights Watch reports. This weakens India\u2019s moral authority when it speaks about human rights issues in other countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Police-State Perception: <\/strong>High custodial deaths may create a perception of India as a police state rather than a welfare-oriented democracy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Criminal Justice System<\/strong>: The weak criminal justice system in India is characterized by inefficiencies in adopting modern policing, forensic science, and technology-driven methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal Initiatives to Curb Custodial Deaths in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Supreme Court Guidelines (D.K. Basu vs. State of West Bengal, 1997): <\/strong>It laid down mandatory arrest and detention safeguards: informing relatives, maintaining arrest memo, medical examination, legal counsel, production before magistrate within 24 hours.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These guidelines are treated as enforceable law under Article 141.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Human Rights Commission (NHRC): <\/strong>NHRC requires mandatory reporting of all custodial deaths within 24 hours.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Issues advisories and seeks compliance reports from states.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supreme Court Directions on CCTV Cameras (2020, Paramvir Singh Saini Case): <\/strong>Directed installation of CCTV cameras with night vision and audio in all police stations and prisons.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ordered independent committees at state and district levels for monitoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Oversight: <\/strong>High Courts and the Supreme Court regularly intervene in custodial death cases, order compensation, and monitor police reforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (replacing CrPC):<\/strong> Introduces provisions for greater transparency in arrests, use of forensic methods, and citizen-centric procedures.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 modernise penal and evidentiary laws, reducing dependence on confession-based policing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Custodial deaths remain a concern for India&#8217;s democratic and constitutional values.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While the government has introduced legal safeguards, judicial directions, and institutional mechanisms, their effectiveness depends on strict enforcement, police reforms, and a shift towards technology-driven investigations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/custodial-death-delays-indian-prisons-forensic-backlog-prison-administration-issues-2825417-2025-11-25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">A Supreme Court panel has released a comprehensive report on prison reforms, revealing deep systemic gaps in the investigation of custodial deaths.\u00a0<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Major Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Delays in custodial death probe: It highlighted severe delays in forensic examinations due to a 52% staff vacancy in state forensic labs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">As a result, 1,237 enquiries into custodial deaths remained pending in district courts for over a year as of 2023.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Prisoners who died in custody are often subject to lengthy investigations.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Issues in Prison Administration: Prison manuals refer to prison work related to conservancy and sanitation as \u2018menial\u2019 or \u2018work of degrading character\u2019, which perpetuates a hierarchical view of labour.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-11-2025\/supreme-court-panel-flags-massive-custodial-death-probe-delays\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/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":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59848","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=59848"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59899,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59848\/revisions\/59899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}