Custodial deaths: An overview of the prevailing healthcare scenario.

ABSTRACT

Preventing torture in custody and ensuring strict compliance of its guidelines in custodial deaths is one of the important agenda on the NHRC’s list. Sudden and unexpected death in custody is commonly associated with allegations of torture against law enforcement agencies. Delay in providing basic medical care is one of the commonest allegations by the relatives against jail authorities. In this study we analysed the pattern of custodial deaths that had been brought to the mortuary at PGIMER, Chandigarh for medico legal autopsy and have suggested few preventive measures to reduce the morbidity as well as mortality among prisoners. Ninety custodial deaths that occurred while undergoing treatment in PGIMER, Chandigarh in the last decade were analysed, based on various factors such as age, sex, treatment protocol, etc. Of these, 95% were males and 5% were females; Sixty three percent cases were reported from the Punjab zone, 27% from Haryana, 7% from Chandigarh, 2% from Uttar Pradesh and 1% from Himachal Pradesh. Eighty nine percent deaths were attributed to natural causes, while 11% cases were due to unnatural causes, mostly suicides.