A recent study on police torture in custody has highlighted significant disparities across Indian states regarding adherence to arrest protocols. The “Status of Policing in India Report 2025: Police Torture and (Un)Accountability” found that police in Kerala are the most diligent in following arrest procedures, with 94% of respondents stating they “always” adhere to the process. Only 6% mentioned that the procedures are followed occasionally, and no officers reported rarely or never following the rules. In stark contrast, police in Karnataka were found to have a much lower compliance rate, with 70% of respondents indicating that arrest procedures are “rarely or never” followed, while just 13% affirmed that the rules are always respected. Similarly, Jharkhand also showed a significant gap in adherence, with 43% of officers admitting to infrequent compliance with arrest protocols.
The study, conducted by the NGO Common Cause in collaboration with Lokniti, CSDS, and the Lal Family Foundation, pointed out that these responses reflect the police’s perception of compliance rather than actual measures. It also revealed a troubling trend where more than half of the police officers in Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh favor minor punishments over legal trials for minor offenses.
Furthermore, the study found that officers in urban areas are more likely to support alternative punishments, with 40% of urban police favoring such measures compared to 32% of their rural counterparts. Police in Gujarat were also found to be more likely to justify mob violence against suspects, with 57% of Gujarat’s officers supporting it to a significant extent.
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