AN ANALYSIS OF CUSTODIAL VIOLENCE IN INDIA LEGAL FRAMEWORK, STATISTICAL TRENDS, AND REFORM IMPERATIVES

Custodial violence and torture are egregious violations of human rights that contravene the rule of law and democratic governance. This article looks at the problem
of torture and violence in Indian prisons by looking at laws, statistics, and problems with institutions. This analysis, utilizing data from the National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), indicates that India saw almost 14,000 custodial deaths from 2016 to 2024, with no
convictions resulting. The study looks at constitutional protections as laid out in Articles 21 and 22, laws in the Indian Penal Code, and important Supreme Court
decisions, especially D.K. The Basu guidelines and the Nilabati Behera compensation principles, together with the fact that there are still no specific laws against
torture. This article talks about systemic flaws such not having enough accountability systems, not having CCTV cameras, getting medical care too late, targeting
poor people, and making violence commonplace in institutions. The research says that to end this humanitarian disaster and fulfil India's constitutional commitment
to human dignity, the police need to be reformed, the Prevention of Torture Bill needs to be passed, the UN Convention against Torture has to be ratified, and
oversight systems need to be made stronger.