What RTI data reveals about custodial torture, lack of CCTV facilities in Tamil Nadu’s police stations

OFTEN RANKED AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY, by independent reports and the government alike, the Tamil Nadu (‘TN’) police is commonly lauded as a model force. Prisons in Tamil Nadu are also ranked best for their jail management. The TN Police are often praised for their large conviction rates of rowdies, reduced murder rates including their self-portrayal as the “Indian Scotland Yard”. 

However, a deeper look, particularly through the lens of their custodial behaviours and approach towards free assembly tell us a different tale. The Sathankulam custodial death and Thoothukdui massacre are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of incidents and statistics which tell a parallel tale. The contrast between these celebrated statistics and grassroot developments present a need to rethink if these crafted narratives are just to mask the deeper systemic flaws.

Unveiling custodial behaviour

Since 2022, 24 custodial deaths have taken place as a direct result of police torture. Particularly, the custodial death of a 17-year-old in 2023 at the Chengalpattu juvenile home illustrates the systematic brutality entrenched within the TN police. Instead of reforming a minor arrested for a petty offence, the railway police and juvenile staff subjected him to unimaginable physical torture, resulting in 96 injury marks, including severe contusions and abrasions as recorded in his post-mortem report. 

The police brazenly lied that the cause of death was food poisoning. Later, the government constituted a one-man committee consisting of Justice K. Chandru as a knee-jerk reaction to study juvenile homes across the state. The final recommendations of this report are still not public. 

The police also, often, carefully connive with the medical department and violate the judicial mandate to be followed regarding postmortem certificates, video recording of autopsies, and issuing them to the families in custodial deaths.

Shocking statistics on slippery toilets – A lame excuse on custodial torture:

In light of this comes the RTI data unveiling pre-remand injuries of accused persons entering the Puzhal Prison, Chennai over a period of ten months in 2024. Shockingly, over 300 inmates entered the prison with broken limbs. Out of the 304 accused persons, 163 sustained forearm fractures, of whom 52 sustained injuries on the left forearm and 112 on the right forearm. 61 sustained hand fractures and 77 entered the prison with leg fractures. 

Fractures to essential parts of the human body that are instrumental for performing ‘Activities for Daily Living’ (DLA) reflect the torturous attitude of the TN police. Surprisingly, the pre-remand injuries are lower to the accused with heinous crimes (177) and murder cases (144) than for those charged with petty offences. More than 75 percent of the injuries were sustained by petty offenders (237 out of 304). This data can only help us arrive at a conclusion that fractures are the warm welcoming modus adopted by the TN police.