Story in numbers: 5 people die in judicial custody every day, shows data

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is considered the most authoritative repository of crime statistics in the country. However, in its latest report (2021), many wonder about the figures relating to deaths in police custody.

The NCRB adds a clear disclaimer to all its reports: that its data is based on information furnished by state governments. But figures (also furnished by state governments) relating to custodial deaths from other sources, like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), for instance, reveal a glaring mismatch.

The NHRC data on this issue is available for 2010-2020. According to this, at least 17,146 people were reported to have died in judicial/police custody – nearly five per day, on average – in cases registered in the decade up to March 2020. Between January-July 2020, the NHRC reported 914 deaths in custody – 53 of these in police detention.

The latest NCRB data relates to two categories: the first category includes persons not on remand. They are not arrested but yet to be produced before court. The second category includes persons in remand, which means those in police/judicial remand.

Former Chief Justice of India, N V Ramana, in August 2021, voiced concerns about custodial deaths. He said: “Police stations pose the highest threat to human rights and dignity as custodial torture, violence, and police atrocities still prevail, notwithstanding constitutional guarantees.”

(Sources: NCRB, NHRC)