(India) CCTV cameras alone can’t help in preventing custodial torture

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http://atimes.com/2015/08/cctv-cameras-alone-cant-help-in-preventing-custodial-torture/



CCTV cameras alone can’t help in preventing custodial torture
By Sudha Ramachandran on August 5, 2015

In an attempt to prevent custodial torture, India’s Supreme Court has ordered the central and state governments to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in police stations and prisons across the country. While this is a step in the right direction, a more comprehensive approach is needed to halt this practice.

Torture is endemic in India. According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights’ report ‘Torture in India 2011’, between 2001 and 2010, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recorded a total of 14,231 deaths in custody in India; 1504 in police custody and 12,727 in judicial custody. This translates to a rate of over four deaths from custodial torture per day.

The NHRC figures are a conservative estimate, as it is only those torture cases that are reported to it that get recorded. In most instances of torture, victims are reluctant to take their complaints against the police or prison authorities to the human rights watchdog. Besides, the NHRC figures include only those cases of torture that culminated in death. Importantly, it does not include custodial torture cases from India’s conflict zones.

Torture to elicit information in the course of interrogation and to wring out confessions is common in India. Police officials often justify it as necessary to ‘crack’ ‘hardened criminals’ and terrorists. Rarely do authorities admit that death in custody was due to torture; in most instances, the death is attributed to suicide.