The Police Line We Need To Cross

The brutal custodial death of 27-year-old temple security guard Ajith Kumar in Tamil Nadu last month forced the country to confront an uncomfortable truth: custodial torture is not an aberration, but a systemic feature of policing in India.

- AMAL CHANDRA

According to the autopsy report, there were more than 40 injuries on his body, pointing to sustained and deliberate assault. In a moment of judicial candour, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court described it as "police-organised crime" and concluded that "a state has killed its own citizen". That tone is necessary and speaks to the scale of the rot.

The state acted swiftly in the immediate aftermath. Five policemen were arrested, six others were suspended and a judicial inquiry was ordered under strict timelines. The Tamil Nadu government offered compensation: ₹5 lakh and a government job for Ajith's brother, and a parcel of land. The case was also handed over to the CBI.

Yet, for all the official gestures, Tamil Nadu's record on custodial violence remains deeply troubling. Between 2016 and 2021, there were 478 custodial deaths, with perpetrators not convicted in the vast majority of cases. In 2022 alone, at least 12 more cases surfaced. The accused cops behind the infamous 2023 Ambasamudram custodial torture case, in which detainees were reportedly assaulted with iron rods and had their teeth smashed, are on active duty.