New Delhi: Between 2017 and 2022, more than 270 cases of rape in custody have been recorded, as per data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Offenders in these cases include police personnel, public servants, members of the armed forces, and staff from various institutions like jails, remand homes, places of custody, and hospitals.
The figures show a gradual decline in such cases over the years. In 2022, 24 cases were registered, down from 26 in 2021, 29 in 2020, 47 in 2019, 60 in 2018, and 89 in 2017. These cases fall under Indian Penal Code section 376(2), dealing with rape committed by individuals in positions of authority or custody.
Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of cases, with 92 instances, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 43 cases.
Women's rights activists attribute these instances to a lack of sensitisation and accountability within law enforcement systems. Custodial settings provide opportunities for abuse, with state agents misusing their power to coerce sexual access, according to Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the Population Foundation of India.
Muttreja emphasises the urgent need for a victim-centric approach, legal reforms, gender-sensitivity training for law enforcement, and institutional reforms to effectively address the root causes and consequences of custodial rape.
Reflecting on her experiences, Pallabi Ghosh, a Nguvu Change Leader, shared troubling survivor accounts alleging rape by police officers. She highlights the pervasive culture of impunity and victim-blaming within law enforcement, hindering survivors from seeking justice.
Sensitization, awareness among police personnel, and legal mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable are deemed critical. Ghosh also expresses frustration over the difficulty in lodging complaints for custodial violence unless survivors name perpetrators, pointing to a systemic barrier to seeking justice.