NGO Report Highlights Gaps In Police Personnel's Adherence To The Rule Of Law

An NGO has raised concerns about the alleged disregard for the rule of law and "insufficient adherence" to arrest protocols by certain police officers, as it released its latest report on the state of policing in the country.

The report, titled Status of Policing in India Report 2025: Police Torture and (Un)Accountability, published by Common Cause NGO, highlights that a notable percentage of police personnel "justify the use of torture and violence" while performing their duties. It further states that many officers believe they should be permitted to use force without fear of facing consequences.

The NGO said the report is a result of its collaboration with the Lokniti Programme of The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).

It said they surveyed 8,276 police personnel of various ranks and at 82 diverse locations such as police stations, police lines, and courts, across 17 states and Union territories to come out with its findings.

Responses were gathered from urban and rural areas, state capitals, district headquarters, and other small, medium and big towns, the NGO claimed.

The respondents in the study include a range of police ranks, from constables (including Constables and Head Constables) to upper subordinates (spanning Assistant Sub-Inspector to Deputy Superintendent of Police), as well as Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, the report stated.

The NGO also noted that the study incorporates detailed interviews with professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and judges, all of whom regularly interact with both police officers and individuals in custody.

"The study's findings reveal that a significant proportion of police personnel justify the use of torture and violence in the course of their duties and believe they should be permitted to use force without fear of facing consequences," the NGO asserted.

It also noted that one in four police officers strongly justify mob violence in cases of sexual harassment (27%) and child abduction/kidnapping (25%). This suggests that approximately a quarter of India's police force supports the notion of mobs acting as judge, jury, and executioner in what they perceive as serious cases, the report claimed.

Among various categories of crime, constabulary and IPS officers are more likely to justify mob violence, while upper subordinate officers are the least likely to do so, the report added.

Furthermore, 22 percent of police personnel believe that killing "dangerous criminals" is preferable to giving them a legal trial. The report also noted that more experienced and upper subordinate officers are less likely to agree with this statement.

On alleged "poor compliance with arrest procedures", the report said overall, 41 per cent police personnel said that arrest procedures are "always" adhered to, while 24 per cent said they are "rarely or never" adhered to. "Kerala reported the highest compliance (94 percent said 'always'). IPS officers (33 percent) are the least likely to say that these procedures are always complied with, while upper subordinates (49 percent) are the most likely to say so," it claimed.

The report claimed that the police in India have a strong reliance on a culture of fear and the use of "tough methods".

"Thirty per cent of police personnel said that ‘third-degree methods’ are justified towards the accused in serious criminal cases. Nine per cent said they are justified in petty offences. IPS officers and those respondents who often conduct interrogations are the most likely to justify the use of third-degree methods," it claimed.

Eleven per cent of the police personnel feel that hitting/slapping family members of the accused is absolutely justified, and 30 per cent said that it is sometimes justified, the NGO report alleged.