Custodial violence is a worldwide phenomenon inflicted upon individuals irrespective of age, sex or state of health. The work elaborately deals with the types of custody, kinds of prisons, rights of prisoners, protection of vulnerable groups, women and insane prisoners against custodial violence, protection of prisoners against custodial rape, custodial death and fake encounters as well. The book adopts a complete and contemporary approach to the study relating to prison administration, area of custodial violence, international legal frameworks and domestic laws relating to the rights of prisoners.
Rights of prisoners
Encounter killings
Handcuffing
Right to speedy justice
Custodial rape and compensation
Juvenile justice system and detention
Brain Electrical Activation Profile Test
Contents
Foreword.................................................................................................. ....... [5]
Preface .................................................................................................. ....... [7]
Table of Cases.................................................................................................. [17]
Chapter
1 Introduction............................................................................... ........ 1
1 National Crime Record Bureau................................................. 2
1.1 Reason of deaths in police custody................................... 3
1.2 Escapees from police custody............................................ 4
1.3 Custodial rape..................................................................... 4
2 Police custody, judicial custody, custodial
violence and human rights........................................................ 4
3 Custodial crimes in India .......................................................... 8
3.1 British period...................................................................... 9
3.2 Post-Independence period ............................................... 10
2 Historical Retrospect............................................................... ........ 21
1 Prison administration .............................................................. 22
1.1 Ancient period................................................................... 22
1.2 Medieval period................................................................. 25
1.3 Modern period................................................................... 27
1.3.1 The Prisons Act 1894............................................. 29
1.3.2 The Prisoners Act 1900......................................... 30
1.3.3 The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1950..................... 31
1.3.4 The Prisoners (Attendance in
Courts) Act 1955..................................................... 32
1.3.5 Prison manuals...................................................... 32
2 Kinds of prison.......................................................................... 36
2.1 The Reformatory Schools Act 1897................................. 36
2.1.1 Reformatory Schools ............................................ 36
2.2 The Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act 1956 .............. 37
2.3 The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956.................. 39
2.4 The Mental Health Act 1987............................................ 42
2 Historical Retrospect—continued
2.4.1 Salient Feature of the
Mental Healthcare Act 2017................................. 48
2.5 Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection
of Children) Act 2000........................................................ 48
2.5.1 Juvenile home....................................................... 51
2.5.2 Observation home................................................. 55
2.5.3 Special home.......................................................... 55
2.6 Salient Features of the Juvenile Justice
(Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 .................. 56
2.6.1 Different forms of Child Care
Institutions under Act 2015 ................................. 58
3 Torture and Third Degree Methodology................................. 60
3 Rights of Prisoners.................................................................. ........ 63
1 International instruments....................................................... 64
1.1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.............. 65
1.2 International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights 1966......................................................... 67
1.3 First Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights......................... 68
1.4 Second Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
aiming at the abolition of the death penalty................. 69
1.5 Body of Principles for the Protection of all
Persons under any Form of Detention or
Imprisonment.................................................................... 70
1.6 Safeguards Guaranteeing Protection of
Rights of those Facing Death Penalty............................ 71
1.7 Convention against Torture and other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment............................................... 74
2 Constitutional provisions......................................................... 78
2.1 Fundamental Rights......................................................... 79
2.1.1 Right to equality.................................................... 79
2.1.2 Right to freedom.................................................... 80
2.1.3 Protection in respect of
conviction for offences.......................................... 84
2.1.4 Protection of life and personal liberty................ 88
2.1.5 Right against arrest and detention...................... 91
2.1.6 Right against exploitation ................................... 95
2.1.7 Right to constitutional remedies......................... 96
2.2 Directive Principles of State Policy.............................. 103
3 Rights of Prisoners—continued
3 Legislative provisions............................................................. 103
3.1 Indian Penal Code 1860................................................. 104
3.2 Code of Criminal Procedure 1973................................. 107
3.2.1 Right of a person prior to
arrest and after arrest......................................... 107
3.2.2 Right not to be subjected to
unnecessary restrain........................................... 110
3.2.3 Right to be informed of grounds
of arrest................................................................. 110
3.2.4 Right against arbitrary
arrest and detention............................................ 110
3.2.5 Right to be released on bail................................ 111
3.2.5.1 Recommendation of Law
Commission on arrest and bail........... 112
3.2.6 Right to obtain a receipt when
property is seized................................................. 116
3.2.7 Right to be medically examined........................ 116
3.2.8 Right to fair and speedy investigation.............. 117
3.2.9 Right to legal aid................................................. 117
3.2.10 Right to plea bargain....................................... 118
3.3 Indian Evidence Act 1872.............................................. 119
3.3.1 Confession to police............................................ 119
3.3.2 Burden of proof and presumption...................... 120
3.4 The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993................... 120
3.4.1 Function and Powers of
the Commission................................................... 121
4 Custodial Violence................................................................... ........ 125
1 Vulnerable groups................................................................... 126
1.1 Juvenile prisoners.......................................................... 126
1.1.1 Law relating to abuse of children by
authorities in power............................................ 130
1.1.2 Child friendly procedures during
investigation and custody................................... 136
1.2 The Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Act 2015................................... 141
1.2.1 General Principles to deal with children
in conflict with law............................................. 142
1.2.2 Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs).......................... 144
1.2.3 Children’s Court.................................................. 145
4 Custodial Violence—continued
1.2.4 Child Welfare Committees (CWCs)
for children in need of care and
protection.............................................................. 145
1.2.5 Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPU)
and Child Welfare Police Officers..................... 146
1.2.6 Penalties .............................................................. 146
1.3 Women prisoners............................................................ 146
1.4 Insane prisoners............................................................. 155
1.4.1 Person unable to stand trial due to
unsoundness of mind.......................................... 156
1.4.2 Persons acquitted on ground of
unsoundness of mind.......................................... 156
2 Torture...................................................................................... 157
2.1 Torture practice in India................................................ 157
2.2 Methods of torture.......................................................... 163
3 Inhuman degrading treatment.............................................. 164
4 Custodial death........................................................................ 167
4.1 Custodial death—towards new definition................... 167
4.2 Evidence in custodial deaths......................................... 168
4.3 Custodial deaths—the role of
Executive Magistrate...................................................... 168
5 Custodial rape.......................................................................... 169
6 Fake encounters and forced disappearance......................... 172
5 Protection against Custodial Violence........................................ 175
1 Procedural safeguards............................................................ 176
1.1 The role of court ............................................................. 176
1.2 Role of prosecutor .......................................................... 178
1.3 Identifying offenders of custodial crime...................... 187
1.4 Use of scientific aid in investigation ........................... 187
1.4.1 Polygraph test...................................................... 190
1.4.2 Narco-analysis test.............................................. 192
1.4.3 Brain Electrical Activation
Profile (BEAP) test ............................................. 197
2 Handcuffing............................................................................. 202
3 Bar fetters................................................................................ 208
4 Inhuman treatment................................................................ 211
5 Solitary confinement.............................................................. 215
6 Review the laws governing the use of fetters,
handcuff and inhuman treatment......................................... 219
6.1 Stop the unlawful use of fetters ................................... 220
5 Protection against Custodial Violence—continued
7 Code of Conduct for the Police in India................................................ 223
8 National Human Rights Commission
guidelines on arrest................................................................................................. 225
8.1 Pre-Arrest........................................................................ 225
8.2 Arrest................................................................................ 226
8.3 Post-Arrest....................................................................... 229
9 Enforcement of Guidelines.................................................... 230
10 Encounter killings.................................................................. 231
10.1 Private defence or murder........................................... 232
10.2 NHRC Guidelines on encounter killings............... .. 233
6 Remedies ........ 234
1 Speedy trial ............................................................................. 235
2 Bail .. 246
2.1 Bail— meaning of........................................................... 247
2.2 Person empowered to grant bail................................... 247
2.3 Statutory provision regarding bail .............................. 250
2.3.1 The presumption of innocence........................... 251
2.3.2 Effect of detention on the
prisoners private life........................................... 257
2.3.3 Prospects of acquittal becomes bleak ........... 257
2.3.4 Higher ratio of plea of guilty ..................... 257
2.3.5 Greater chances of imprisonment..................... 257
2.3.6 Effects on morale of the accused....................... 258
2.3.7 Detaining offenders, who on
conviction, are not considered
suitable for detention.......................................... 258
2.3.8 Effect on prison population................................ 258
2.4 Human rights and bail................................................... 259
3 Legal aid................................................................................... 259
4 Public Interest Litigation (PIL)............................................. 262
4.1 Evolution of Public Interest Litigation........................ 262
4.2 Features of Public Interest Litigation.......................... 265
4.3 Governmental lawlessness and repression................. 266
4.3.1 Custodial violation.............................................. 266
4.3.2 Violence against women and
Public Interest Litigation................................... 270
4.3.3 Children ............................................................... 271
5 Compensation.......................................................................... 272
5.1 Right to compensation ................................................... 275
6 Remedies—continued
5.2 Objectives of payment of compensation....................... 276
5.3 Law Commission of India on compensation................ 278
5.4 Malimath Committee on compensation....................... 279
5.5 Compensation in writ proceedings............................... 280
7 Conclusion and Suggestions.................................................. ........ 299
1 Suggestions and recommendations....................................... 310
2 Stop use of third degree methods.......................................... 314
3 Rehabilitation.......................................................................... 316
Index ....... 319
Kavita Singh
LLM, PhD Associate Professor W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences
Students, Lawyers and Practitioners
