669 custodial deaths in past five years: MHA

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Ranjan

New Delhi, February 11

In all, 669 deaths in police custody have been reported from across the country in the past five years, say officials in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) citing the data provided by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

According to the NHRC data, 175 deaths in police custody were reported in 2021-22, 100 in 2020-21, 112 in 2019-21, 136 in 2018-19 and 146 in 2017-18.

A senior MHA official said, “The NHRC recommended monetary relief in 201 cases amounting to Rs 5.8 crore and disciplinary action in one case during the period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2022, in the incidents of custodial deaths.”

Clarifying further that as the police and public order were state subjects as per the seventh schedule to the Constitution, the officials said it was the responsibility of the provincial governments to protect individuals from the violation of human rights.

Recently, Union Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai had informed Parliament the MHA had been issuing advisories from time to time with regard to the violation of human rights.

He said the Centre had enacted the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, which stipulated the establishment of the NHRC and state human rights commissions to look into the alleged human right violations by government officers.

“The NHRC organises workshops and seminars from time to time to sensitise public servants for a better understanding of human rights and, in particular, the protection of rights of persons in custody,” the minister added.

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