Threat to human rights highest in police stations: CJI N V Ramana on custodial torture

CJI said that despite the constitutional declarations and guarantees, lack of effective legal representation at the police stations is a huge detriment to arrested or detained persons.

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New Delhi: Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Sunday (August 8) highlighted the issue of custodial torture by police that still prevails in the country.

He said that the threat to human rights and bodily integrity are the highest in police stations and that even those from the privileged classes are not spared.

The CJI was speaking at an event organised by the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA).

“The threat to human rights and bodily integrity are the highest in police stations. Custodial torture and other police atrocities are problems that still prevail in our society. Going by the recent reports even the privileged are not spared third-degree treatment,” CJI Ramana said.

He said that despite the constitutional declarations and guarantees, lack of effective legal representation at the police stations is a huge detriment to arrested or detained persons.

He said that it was necessary to bridge the gap of accessibility to justice between the highly privileged and the most vulnerable.

“To keep police excesses in check dissemination of information about the constitutional right to legal aid and availability of free legal aid services is necessary. The installation of display boards and outdoor hoardings in every police station or prison is a step in this direction,” he said.

“The realities of socio-economic diversity which prevail in our nation, cannot ever be a reason for denial of rights. If, as an institution, the judiciary wants to garner the faith of the citizens, we have to make everyone feel assured that we exist for them. For the longest time, the vulnerable population has lived outside the system of justice,” he added.

He suggested that the postal network can be utilised to spread awareness regarding the availability of free legal aid services and to increase the outreach of legal services to persons residing in far-flung areas of the country.