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Home ministry asks state governments to ensure humane police behaviour

Alarmed by the increasing number of deaths in police and judicial custody, the Union home ministry has issued guidelines to state governments to ensure that the police forces conduct themselves in a human manner.

The ministry has also advised the state and Union territory governments to scrupulously follow the Supreme Court's directions on arrest and detention as contained in its judgment pronounced in 1996.

According to information available with the home ministry, a total of 305 people died in judicial custody in the first three months of the current financial year and 42 died in police custody during the same period. In 1997-98, a total of 819 people died in judicial custody and 193 died in police custody. The figures for 1996-97 were 700 and 188 for judicial custody deaths and police custody deaths respectively.

According to statistics available, the maximum number of 75 deaths in judicial custody took place in Uttar Pradesh. Bihar accounted for 46 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with 23 deaths each in the first three months of this financial year. Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, the Union territories of Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry did not list a single death. Delhi reported two judicial custody deaths in the last three months.

UNI

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