End Custodial Brutality—Begin Criminal Justice Reform

Last week’s custodial death of an innocent temple guard in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu is not an aberration—it is a grim reminder of how urgently India must confront the culture of torture embedded in our criminal‑justice system. From Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh, similar tragedies have shattered families, eroded public trust and stained the rule of law. We can no longer treat each case as a “one‑off”; systemic failure demands systemic solutions.

Why does violence persist?

Colonial policing legacy: Laws and practices designed for repression still shape day‑to‑day operations.

Unsustainable workload & PTSD: Officers routinely process grisly crime scenes without psychological support, breeding trauma that can spill over into brutality.

Training & budget gaps: Modernisation funding buys vehicles and weapons, but leaves empathy, ethics and human‑rights modules under‑funded.

Weak accountability: Interrogations off‑camera, opaque internal inquiries and political interference create an environment where rogue officers act with impunity.

The reform agenda we need now

Full implementation of the Supreme Court’s Prakash Singh directives—especially independent police complaints authorities at the state and district levels.

Mandatory, tamper‑proof audio‑visual recording of every interrogation—with footage admissible in court.

Holistic mental‑health services for police personnel—routine counselling, PTSD screening and peer‑support programmes.

Curriculum overhaul at every rank—embed constitutional values, cultural sensitivity and non‑coercive investigative methods.

Data transparency & public dashboards—publish custodial death statistics and disciplinary actions to restore trust.

Fast‑track prosecution of offending officers—swift, exemplary punishment signals zero tolerance for abuse.

Why it matters

Unchecked custodial torture fuels resentment, delegitimises lawful authority and becomes a recruitment tool for extremist movements. A rights‑respecting, people‑centric police force, on the other hand, strengthens national security, accelerates justice delivery and aligns India with global human‑rights standards.

We owe it to every citizen—and to the countless conscientious officers who serve with integrity—to break this cycle. Let’s move beyond outrage and hold ourselves accountable for building a criminal‑justice system worthy of a modern democracy.

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