Watch: Police convicted for recent custodial deaths in India: zero | Data Point

Ajith Kumar, a security guard, died last Saturday while in police custody in Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu.

Kumar’s death is not an isolated incident. It reflects a wider pattern of custodial torture not just in Tamil Nadu, but across the country.

Data shows that Tamil Nadu has a long history of police brutality. According to data from Parliament, 490 deaths were reported while suspects were in judicial or police custody between 2016-17 and 2021-22 (up to March 31, 2022).

In the same period, 11,656 deaths were reported in India while suspects were in custody. Yet, not a single policeman was convicted for custodial deaths in India between 2017 and 2022.

In this video, The Hindu’s Data team examines whether police personnel are held accountable for custodial deaths — and how cases of torture and deaths in custody often go unpunished.

Presentation and editing: Sambavi Parthasarathy

Scripting and data support: Vignesh Radhakrishnan

Videography: Thamodharan B

Read more: Custodial deaths: Police convictions remain zero in Tamil Nadu and beyond