The custodial murder of Jayaraj and his son, Bennicks in Tamil Nadu, during June 2020, evoked nationwide protests. To their credit, people are now demanding immediate, systemic reform in Indian policing. The State Security Bureau, a secret police agency, arrested the two during their attempt to enforce the Covid-19 restrictions. Their preventable deaths in custody unraveled deepening cries of alarming human rights violations across the police establishment. The death of 26-year-old Faizan in police custody during the protests against the CAA in February 2020 added fuel to the fire. This shocking incident underscored the need for systemic reforms to policing in India.
It ordered punitive damages for Faizan’s family, criticizing the police invasion as a “gross violation of human rights” and a hate crime. This decision demonstrates the systemic problems in our nation’s law enforcement that continue to infect our great nation today. These recent incidents further exemplify how the legacy of colonialism continues to shape contemporary policing practices. It seems obvious that we need to take a hard look at what we’re doing now.
In response to these alarming events, the book “Policing and Violence in India: Colonial Legacies and Contemporary Realities” has been published by Speaking Tiger. Edited by Deana Heath and Jinee Lokaneeta, this ambitious and wide-ranging collection runs 368 pages and is published at ₹799. The book lays out the colonial legacy that created the current policing environment in India. Most importantly in my view, it exposes the way that colonial legacies continue to produce violence and abuse among police officers today.
The custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks are seen as especially egregious cases that have sparked nationwide protests. They serve as painful reminders of the critical need to reform policing practices across the country. Though tragic, Faizan’s death serves to enrich this narrative. Rather than being an outlier, this case is representative of custodial violence and human rights abuses that are systemic in nature.
Critics argue that there is a dire need to explore the landscape of policing in India through both political and sociological lenses. In so doing, stakeholders will have a clearer view of the complexities at play and can drive efforts to implement meaningful reforms. There is a growing consensus that addressing these issues is essential not only for ensuring justice for victims but for restoring public trust in law enforcement institutions.