Rights group flags alarming spike in custodial torture incidents

People's Watch, a leading human rights monitoring organisation, has sounded an alarm over the rising incidence of custodial torture cases, warning that the trend reflects systemic failures in law enforcement accountability. The group's findings suggest that torture during police detention remains a widespread problem despite legal prohibitions and judicial oversight mechanisms in place.

Custodial torture—the use of physical or psychological abuse against detainees in police or security force custody—continues to plague detention facilities across South Asia despite constitutional safeguards and international commitments. The surge documented by People's Watch indicates that existing preventive measures have proven inadequate in deterring such practices or protecting vulnerable detainees from abuse.

The rights organisation has historically documented cases involving unlawful detention, physical assault, and coercive interrogation methods applied during police custody. Such practices disproportionately affect marginalised communities and individuals accused of serious crimes, who often lack adequate legal representation during initial detention periods.

The alert comes amid ongoing discussions about police reform and institutional accountability in the region. Experts have long advocated for stronger independent oversight of detention facilities, mandatory recording of interrogations, and swift prosecution of officers implicated in abuse cases. People's Watch's latest concerns suggest these reforms remain urgently necessary to curtail custodial violence and uphold fundamental human rights protections.