170 custodial deaths in India's first 74 days of 2026, government tells parliament
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India reported 170 custodial deaths from January 1 to March 15, 2026—the first 74 days of the year—the Union Home Ministry told Parliament Tuesday, citing National Human Rights Commission data.
This marks a sharp rise from 140 cases in 2024–25, following 157 in 2023–24, 163 in 2022–23, and 176 in 2021–22.
Bihar led with 19 cases, trailed by Rajasthan (18) and Uttar Pradesh (15). Punjab, Gujarat, and Maharashtra each logged 14.
Southern states saw Tamil Nadu at seven, Telangana five, Karnataka and Kerala three each. West Bengal reported seven, Odisha nine. Northeastern Assam had five, Arunachal Pradesh three; Mizoram, Sikkim, and Ladakh UT reported zero.
Among UTs, Delhi tallied four; Jammu & Kashmir none. Andaman & Nicobar and Puducherry had one each.
Human rights reports flag Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, and the poor as primary victims, hit by poverty-driven arrests, biased policing, and limited legal aid.
The 2025 Global Torture Index: India Factsheet details routine beatings, threats, firearm misuse, invasive searches, and "unofficial" detention in abandoned sites or hotels to force confessions. LGBTQIA+, migrants, and homeless face the brunt.
In February, UN experts warned of systemic policing failures, citing hundreds of extrajudicial killings, torture deaths, and injuries. They urged independent probes and reforms to meet global standards.
"These allegations paint a picture of law enforcement violence that is not sporadic, but systemic," they stated, flagging "encounter" killings and custodial torture in Uttar Pradesh and Assam—disproportionately targeting Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis. "We are deeply troubled that these operations appear to substitute lawful policing and due process with summary violence," they added, demanding prompt, transparent investigations.