Context:
Despite India’s constitutional safeguards and procedural codes governing arrests and detentions, a culture of force and fear tactics persists within the police system. A 2025 survey by Lokniti-CSDS and Common Cause, involving 8,276 police personnel, provides revealing insights into police attitudes towards violence, mob justice, and due process.
Key Survey Findings:
Endorsement of Intimidation as a Policing Tool
- 55% of police respondents believe instilling fear among citizens is important:
- 20% rated it as very important
- 35% considered it somewhat important
- Only 30% fully rejected the use of fear, supporting a friendly and service-oriented police force.
Alarming Acceptance of Vigilante Justice
- Mob violence justified by a significant portion of the police force:
- Sexual harassment/assault: 27% strongly justified
- Child kidnapping: 25% strongly justified
- Cow slaughter: 16% strongly justified; 22% partially justified
- Pickpocketing/chain-snatching: 16% strongly justified
- State-specific insights:
- Gujarat: 51% endorsed mob violence in cow slaughter cases
- Odisha: 32%
- Rajasthan: 31%
Split Opinions on Encounter Killings
- 74% of personnel prioritised legal procedure over extrajudicial killings
- However, 22% supported encounter killings when they serve the “greater good”, indicating a normalization of extralegal measures.
Gaps in Adherence to Legal Arrest Procedures
- 80% said a female officer was always present during a woman’s arrest
- 72% consistently:
- Informed the accused of arrest reasons
- Completed the inspection memo
- However, only 75% reported complete compliance with all procedures
- 10% admitted they rarely or never follow full procedures
Procedural Challenges: Judicial Presentation and Medical Exams
- Judicial Presentation:
- Only 56% found it always feasible to present arrested persons before a magistrate within 24 hours
- 30% cited a need for extended interrogation time
- 23% felt 24 hours was insufficient for investigations
- Medical Examination:
- 57% said it’s always practical
- About one-third admitted it’s only sometimes feasible
Implications:
- The data points to an institutional mindset that condones violence, undermines legal norms, and tolerates vigilantism under certain circumstances.
- Even when safeguards exist, practical enforcement is inconsistent due to resource constraints, investigative pressures, or cultural acceptance of brutality.
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