According to the most recent National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2021, Gujarat had the greatest number of custodial deaths among all Indian states and union territories for the second consecutive year, with 23.
With 15 such cases reported in NCRB 2020 statistics, the state saw a 53% increase in custodial deaths in a single year.
In 2021, a total of 88 custodial fatalities in India were recorded, up from 76 in 2020.
Gujarat is followed by Maharashtra, where there were 21 deaths while in custody in 2021.
Of the 23 people who died while being held in jail in Gujarat, 22 were recorded as passing away in police custody or a locked facility when they were not on remand, and one person perished in custody. Nine people have died while in police custody by suicide, nine more have passed away from illnesses, two have suffered injuries while in custody as a result of physical abuse by officers, and one person is believed to have died while attempting to elude arrest.
It’s noteworthy that the NCRB 2021 report notes that 12 cops were arrested in Gujarat, whereas there were none in 2020. However, no one has passed away in 2020 from wounds received while in police custody as a result of police brutality.
