Almost 4,500 have died in Indian police custody since 2020, figures show

The nation has the highest number of recorded custodial deaths in the world

Punjab police personnel stand guard during an encounter allegedly with gangsters suspected to be involved in the killing of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, at a village in the outskirts of Amritsar on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)Show less

Almost 4,500 people have died in police custody and more than 200 have been the victims of extrajudicial killings in India in the past two years, according to government figures.

The Home Ministry informed Parliament that a total of 4,484 deaths in police custody and 233 extrajudicial deaths, widely known as “police encounters”, were reported in India between April 2020 and March this year.

The country has a long history of extrajudicial killings, where police arbitrarily gun down detainees to either cover up flawed investigations, pacify public anger, or simply to win awards or cash.

Junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai said 1,940 cases were registered in connection with custodial deaths in 2020-21, rising to 2,544 such cases in 2021-22.

Uttar Pradesh, the northern state headed by Hindu monk-turned-politician Yogi Adityanath, reported the highest number of custodial deaths and “encounters”, with 952 in the past two years.

Eastern West Bengal state ranked second with 442 cases registered during the period.

Mr Rai was responding to a question raised by Abdussamad Samadani, a member of India's Union Muslim League.

He shared data collated by the National Humans Rights Commission of India, a public body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights.

The nation has the highest number of recorded custodial deaths — police and judicial — in the world, but conviction rates remain the lowest.

Experts have said the reasons for unabated custodial deaths include a lack of evidence, such as missing CCTV recordings in police stations, the complicity of other policemen, and a lack of accountability.

India has yet to ratify the 1987 UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The largest democracy in the world is one of only nine countries that has not ratified the treaty. Sudan, Brunei and Haiti are among the other countries.

The minister said that public servants are routinely made aware of human rights and particularly of those in custody.

“When complaints of alleged human rights violations are received by the NHRC, action is taken by the Commission as per the provisions laid down under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993,” Mr Rai said.

“Workshops and seminars are also organised by the NHRC from time to time to sensitise public servants for better understanding of human rights and, in particular, the protection of rights of persons in custody,” he said.