This refers to your lead story ‘Manju was assaulted like Nirbhaya, I am the witness’ dated June 29. Custodial deaths are happening daily in jails across the country. The lack of action against the criminals in khakhi is to be blamed for the recurrence of such incidents. The very men who are supposed to uphold the laws are routinely found misusing their powers and do not respect the laws of the country. The recurrence of deaths in police stations on account of custodial violence can be attributed to the fact that action is rarely taken against the guilty policemen. The police force is supposed to uphold the law instead it routinely misuses its powers.
Instances of attacks by the police in India on innocent citizens and misuse of power by them are reported in the media almost every day. The police have tremendous powers, but those should be used to maintain law and order and render assistance to the public and not harass them unnecessarily. Everyday we hear of custodial deaths in police stations and there is no inquiry against them, nor are the police arrested for causing these deaths. The police force is supposed to uphold the law; instead, it routinely misuses its powers. The government must consult the law commission and the national human rights commission to bring in appropriate amendments to the law to curb custodial crimes. It should also ensure that the culprits (including policemen and jail authorities) are punished. When the police fail to solve a crime or arrest the actual culprits, they look for innocent targets to frame. A day is not far when the public will punish the police for their wrongful actions. If a hundred people gather outside a police station for justice, then just see how the tables turn.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
