India Classified as "High Risk" Country in Global Torture Index

Strategic Insights -

India has been classified as a "high risk" country in the Global Torture Index, a recent report by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has revealed. The report highlights frequent incidents of severe beatings, forced confessions, and custodial deaths, particularly targeting marginalised communities, due to India's political and institutional framework. The index assesses the risk of torture and other ill-treatment worldwide using seven thematic pillars, including political commitment against torture and ending police brutality and institutional violence.

Key Takeaways:

  • India recorded 2,739 custodial deaths in 2024 and 2,400 in 2023, as per the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
  • The report cited widespread police brutality and institutional violence, with 2,701 police stations lacking CCTV coverage, despite Supreme Court guidelines.
  • Custodial violence resulting in death often occurs during detainee transfers, inside police stations, or even in hospitals, with law enforcement officers frequently employing illegal practices, such as physical beatings and threats.
  • Marginalised communities, including Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, LGBTQIA+ individuals, migrant labourers, and the homeless, are disproportionately affected by torture practices, such as brutal physical abuse, invasive body searches, and discriminatory policing.
  • The report also highlighted the arbitrary use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with at least 61 human rights defenders jailed under the act since 2018.
  • India lacks a comprehensive national law defining victims of torture, with existing protections scattered and inadequately implemented, severely limiting victims' access to justice and effective remedies.
  • The report noted that the National Human Rights Commission has failed to adequately respond to human rights defender-related complaints, exposing systemic challenges to human rights advocacy in India.
  • India's access to information on human rights violations is estimated to be "concealed" due to significant barriers to transparency and data availability.

Statistics:

  • 2,739 custodial deaths in 2024 (NHRC)
  • 2,400 custodial deaths in 2023 (NHRC)
  • 2,701 police stations lacking CCTV coverage, despite Supreme Court guidelines
  • 159 unnatural deaths in judicial custody in 2022
  • 61 human rights defenders jailed under the UAPA since 2018
  • 131.4 percent average national occupancy rate in Indian prisons in 2022 (NCRB prison statistics)
  • 90% disability of Professor BN Saibaba, who spent over a decade in incarceration without adequate facilities, severely worsening his health.

Sources:

  • World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
  • National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
  • National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
  • Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute
  • Siasat Daily