70 pc cops justify use of force, 60 pc back torture of suspects: Report
62 pc of cops have a propensity to justify torture, with IPS officers being the most likely to have a high propensity for it, says SPIR 2025
More than 70 per cent of Indian police personnel across the ranks believe that they should be allowed to use force without any fear of punishment to properly fulfil their responsibilities.
More than 60 per cent agree that “for the greater good of society”, they can be violent towards suspects of serious offences. And close to 70 per cent believe that they should be allowed to arrest and detain suspects without a court investigation.
These shocking facts have emerged in the Status of Policing in India Report 2025, compiled on the basis of the responses from 8,276 police personnel of various ranks, at 82 locations such as police stations, police lines, and courts, across 17 states and Union Territories, surveyed by NGO Common Cause, in collaboration with the Lokniti Programme of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), a research institute.
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Kerala Police stands out
From the report, it appears that Kerala Police have the least propensity for using violence in performing their duties and a greater tendency to adhere to rules.
Shockingly, constables and IPS officers seem to be on a par when it comes to their support for the use of force and bending rules, while upper subordinate officers (from the ranks of Assistant Sub-Inspector to Deputy Superintendent of the Police) agree that the police need to have a friendlier image.
Thirty per cent of the police personnel have a high propensity to justify torture, while another 32 per cent have a moderate propensity to justify it. IPS officers are the most likely to have a high propensity to justify torture (34 per cent), as are police officers who often conduct interrogations (37 per cent).
30 pc justify third degree
One out of two police personnel from Jharkhand (50 per cent) and Gujarat (49 per cent) have a high propensity to justify torture, while those from Kerala (1 per cent) are the least likely to justify it.
Thirty per cent of the surveyed cops said “third-degree methods” are justified towards the accused in serious criminal cases, while 9 per cent said they are justified even in petty offences.
Forty-one per cent felt that hitting or slapping family members of the accused was justified, while 25 per cent justified slapping “uncooperative” witnesses, and 9 per cent justified the use of third-degree methods against them.
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20 pc support ‘celebrating’ killings
Twenty-two per cent police personnel also believe that killing “dangerous criminals” is better than giving them a legal trial. More experienced and upper subordinate officers are relatively less likely to agree with the statement. Some 20 per cent even feel that celebrating encounter killings is a good boost to the morale of the police force.
About 48 per cent of the surveyed police personnel said they strongly supported the use of more preventive arrests of “anti-social elements” while 43 per cent said they supported the formation of special squads that can detain people indefinitely. Both measures are illegal in India.
IPS officers justify mob violence
About 55 per cent of the respondents felt that it is important for the police to use tough methods to create fear among the public, while about a quarter agreed that mob violence was justified in cases of sexual harassment and child lifting/kidnapping. Across various categories of crime, constabulary and IPS officers are the most likely to justify mob violence, while upper subordinate officers are the least likely to do so.
Constabulary (41 per cent) and the IPS officers (40 per cent) are also the most likely to believe that for minor offences, it is better for the police to give a minor punishment to the criminal instead of following a legal trial, while upper subordinate officers (35 per cent) are the least likely to do so.
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About 40 per cent of policemen — including Muslim cops — feel that Muslims are “naturally prone” to committing crimes. Police respondents in Gujarat (51 per cent), Odisha (32 per cent), Rajasthan (31 per cent), and Maharashtra (29 per cent) expressed high support for mob punishment for cow slaughter.
Are legal processes followed?
Overall, 41 per cent police personnel said arrest procedures are “always” adhered to, while 24 per cent said they are “rarely or never” adhered to, with Kerala reporting the highest compliance.
Only a little over half the respondents (56 per cent) said that it is always feasible for the police to produce an arrested person before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest, with IPS officers (39 per cent) being the least likely to agree with it.
Nearly 80 per cent of the respondents agreed that confessions before the police should be admissible as evidence in courts.
Need for law, training
Nearly three out of four police personnel felt that India needs a separate law against torture. Upper subordinate rank personnel (42 per cent) were most likely to say that it should always be mandatory for a police official witnessing custodial torture to report it, while IPS officers (23 per cent) were the least likely to agree.
An overwhelming majority of the police personnel — including those with a high propensity to justify torture — believe that training on human rights (79 per cent), prevention of torture (71 per cent) and evidence-based interrogation techniques (79 per cent) is very important.
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‘Ineffective’ NHRC
Other interviewees, including lawyers, judges, and doctors, said the victims of torture are mainly people from poor and marginalised communities, including Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, illiterate people, and slum dwellers.
Most interviewees said police do not facilitate arrested persons’ access to lawyers. Doctors said medical examinations of arrested persons are often done by medics without expertise in forensic medicine, who are less able to recognise signs of torture.
Both lawyers and judges pointed out that torture victims rarely make complaints of torture while in custody out of fear while the National Human Rights Commission is not effective in dealing with cases of torture.