{"id":75096,"date":"2025-11-26T11:35:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T06:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=75096"},"modified":"2025-11-26T11:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T06:06:15","slug":"supreme-court-slams-centre-on-custodial-torture-failure-to-install-cctvs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/supreme-court-slams-centre-on-custodial-torture-failure-to-install-cctvs\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court Slams Centre on Custodial Torture &#038; Failure to Install CCTVs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Custodial Torture Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court criticised the Union government for not responding to its five-year-old directive to install CCTV cameras in all police stations and central agency offices such as the CBI, ED and NIA. Only 11 States\/UTs submitted compliance reports; the Centre did not.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bench expressed shock that custodial torture continues unabated, citing 11 custodial deaths in Rajasthan within eight months.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judges observed that custodial brutality persists despite earlier judicial orders.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Custodial Torture in India: A Persisting Human Rights Crisis<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Custodial torture in India is a widespread and systemic human rights violation involving physical and psychological abuse of individuals in police or judicial custody.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the high number of custodial deaths each year, conviction rates remain extremely low, reflecting deep-rooted impunity and weak accountability mechanisms within the system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prisoners\u2019 dignity and fundamental rights are protected under international law.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>UN Charter (1945)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> emphasizes humane treatment, and the <\/span><b>Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> safeguards individuals from torture, cruel treatment, and enforced disappearances, ensuring security and dignity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Scale of the Problem<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Custodial torture\u2014both physical and psychological\u2014remains widespread and systemic.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NHRC reported 2,739 custodial deaths in 2024, up from 2,400 in 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marginalised groups\u2014Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, daily-wage earners\u2014are disproportionately targeted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accountability is abysmal: Zero convictions in 345 judicial inquiries (2017\u20132022) despite arrests and charge sheets.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Why Custodial Torture Persists<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Absence of Specific Anti-Torture Law &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India lacks a dedicated legislation criminalising torture as per global standards. Although India signed UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT, 1997), it has not ratified it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Culture of Impunity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Police personnel often shield each other, discouraging accountability. Systemic misuse of coercive interrogation methods remains widespread.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Systemic and Institutional Failures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Overworked police forces, inadequate training in non-coercive techniques. Weak prison infrastructure and insufficient oversight mechanisms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weak Legal Protection for Victims<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Fear of retaliation and lack of legal aid prevent victims from reporting abuse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Legal &amp; Judicial Safeguards<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 14:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ensures that all individuals are treated equally, reinforcing that law enforcement agencies are not above the law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Right to life includes protection from torture.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 20(1):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prohibits conviction for acts that were not offences when committed and guards against excessive or arbitrary punitive actions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 20(3):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Protection against self-incrimination.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>D.K. Basu Guidelines (1997):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mandate arrest memo, medical exam, identification of police officers, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>New Criminal Laws<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Section 120, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Criminalises causing hurt or grievous hurt to extract confessions or information through violence or coercion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Section 35, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Requires that all arrests and detentions follow legally valid, clearly documented procedures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Section 22, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Declares confessions obtained under inducement, threat, coercion, or promise as legally inadmissible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Supreme Court Pulls Up Centre for Ignoring CCTV Directions<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court expressed displeasure that only 11 States\/UTs had filed compliance affidavits regarding the installation of functional CCTVs in police stations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union government had not filed its response either.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Background: The 2020 Nariman Judgment<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2020), the Supreme Court mandated CCTV installation in police stations and offices of all agencies with arrest and interrogation powers \u2014 including the NIA, CBI, ED, NCB, DRI, and SFIO.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was ordered to safeguard fundamental rights and deter custodial torture.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Debate on CCTVs and Security Concerns<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Centre argued that CCTV installation outside police stations could be counter-productive, citing security concerns.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court disagreed, referring to <\/span><b>live-streamed <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">police stations in the U.S. and the need for more open correctional facilities to reduce overcrowding.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/is-the-centre-taking-us-very-lightly-supreme-court-asks-government-in-suo-motu-case-hearing\/article70320631.ece#:~:text=The%20Centre&#039;s%20lack%20of%20response,apex%20court%20%E2%80%9Cvery%20lightly%E2%80%9D.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/cctvs-at-police-stations-supreme-court-sets-deadline-for-compliance-affidavits-10386294\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/03\/23\/custodial-torture-in-india-intersection-of-criminal-law-and-constitutional-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SCCO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SC criticizes the Union government for ignoring the 2020 directive to install CCTVs in all police stations and central agency offices, citing persistent custodial brutality and deaths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":75133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[3887,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-75096","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-custodial-torture","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}