Custodial Murder Exposes Systemic Brutality and Impunity

The custodial death of a temple guard, namely Ajith Kumar (27), in Tamil Nadu on June 28, 2025, following his unlawful detention over mere suspicions of jewel theft, is yet another example of the persistent rot of police brutality and systemic impunity within India's law enforcement apparatus.

- R KARUNANIDHI

The post-mortem report paints a harrowing picture, documenting 44 external injuries to his body parts like hands, chest, ribs, back, head, and dried blood around his ears with several internal injuries.

A pattern of impunity and failed accountability: Suspensions, arrests, or transfers of investigation to bodies like the CBI are inconsistently applied, predominantly reserved for high-profile cases. However, it has been done in the above case, thanks to the political pressures on this issue. Data from the Union Home Ministry reveal a grim statistic: 669 deaths occurred in police custody between 2017 and 2022. Cases are routinely registered under vague headings like "Suspicious Death," with only a minuscule fraction being reclassified as murder or culpable homicide. Convictions are exceptionally rare, hampered by lack of evidence, departmental influence shielding perpetrators, and the inherent difficulty victims face in securing witnesses when crimes occur "within the four walls" of the state authority.