The Trend in Custodial Deaths in India
The recent incident of an alleged custodial death of a 28-year-old temple security guard from Sivagangai in Tamil Nadu sparked outrage after a post-mortem revealed 44 external injuries, internal bleeding, and signs of brutal torture. The custodial death led to the suspension and arrest of five police officers. The Tamil Nadu government transferred the investigation to the CBI. The incident reignited concerns over custodial violence and police accountability in the state.
Access data on Custodial Deaths and Cases Registered on Dataful
As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, an average of 92 custodial deaths in police custody occurred annually between 2000 and 2022. The highest number was recorded in 2005 with 128 deaths, followed by 118 each in 2007 and 2013. The lowest was in 2010, with 70 deaths.
On the other hand, between 2010–11 and 2021–22, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) registered an average of over 1,700 custodial death-related cases each year. The year 2020–21 witnessed the highest with 1,945 cases, while the lowest was in 2010–11 with 1,572. Comparing judicial and police custody in the same period, the average number of cases registered against officials in judicial custody cases was significantly higher — 1,596 per year — whereas those involving police custody averaged 137 annually.
Despite the high volume of cases, the action recommended by the NHRC against officials remains alarmingly low. Between 2016–17 and 2021–22, disciplinary action was recommended against only 21 officials, while prosecution was recommended against none.