This Ex-Cop Explains Why People Are Still Dying in Indian Police Custody

Just as the murder of George Floyd triggered protests on the streets, in a locked-down India, the custodial death of father and son Jayaraj and Bennix in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu shined a spotlight again on this issue.
A few hundred miles away, the neighbouring state of Kerala has seen a steady rise in cases of custodial torture and killings, way above states with higher crime rates.
We spoke to people who have been victims of this system in this Indian state that ranks highest on the Human Development Index, to see what it takes to get justice against this abuse of power.
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[@nikhiltiwari4464]

Police brutality and misbehaviour is so common in India that people have accepted it as part of their life. No one raise their voice against this because when one individual/group/community is being misbehaved/tortured other would just make fun of victims or just ignore as if nothing happened , we all are complicit in this.

[@theshoaibmartin6906]

So true

[@zwagig1761]

The sad thing is one feels fear rather than a sense of safety when they see a police officer.

[@vaidanubhav]

Very well said!!! Very much true!!

[@abhishekloonnavat]

True

[@gokuok516]

Sad but true 😢

[@sanjoyguha4203]

It's late but at least it came. Very well made video. Keep it up.

[@vinay128me06056]

Plz make a video about Jayaraj n Benix lockup death in sathankulam police station, Tamilnadu. That’s d most brutal incident that we ever witnessed in Tamilnadu.

[@tripurambac5864]

Indeed it was shocking on how a Human can do such a Horrible and painful thing to another Human RIP.

[@imyasharya]

Here's the article I read about him. It's so heartbreaking to read m.timesofindia.com/india/tamil-nadu-custodial-deaths-all-you-need-to-know/amp_articleshow/76707406.cms

[@mehedijahan5078]

Thats why every country need a transparent media. Free and fair media can lower this kind of brutality

[@ajaikumars6948]

Literally you're just at the surface, it's a deep ocean. Why people don't complain is coz who should I complain to? God? In India laws are only written and not followed. Power misused. Here Money is power, if you don't have then you're weak and vulnerable.

[@dilipsaha4732]

You mean there is law but it's execution is not good??

[@Dz-em2wl]

@@dilipsaha4732 Law only on paper..

[@akshatkhurana8952]

It is because we are not told not to question the authority.

[@roshatron]

I like how vice gives captions instead of dubbing over the voice its annoying when you know the language and they are dubbing over

[@Belgianperspective]

STORY FROM FRANCE… I once met a girl in France whom boyfriend was victim of a racist attack by French cops. One day, about 5 months after the incident, her friend showed her the cops who harassed him, they were having lunch outside a bistrot enjoying their time. The french girl (my friend) wanted to talk to them but realized there was no point doing so (the cops were in group) as how can they prove anything? They went to see a lawyer but he was honest enough to tell tell them that because they had no physical evidence, they had 99% chance to lose the case against those officials. Her boyfriend went into depression as he knew there was no way he could get justice. He also went through months of traumas and had to spend lots of time in therapies. She decided to apply for a job at that restaurant and eventually got it after one of the waiter left his job…. You know what she did? One of the racist moron cop always ordered French onion soup and the other one usually orders beer. At every occasion she had, she would add her own “mouth-made biological champagne”’into the onion soups, steak tartare, or into the beer…. Or coffee (she only did it to the 2 officers who acted violently, not to the others who had nothing to do with the arrest, which to me sounds fair). Some days, she told me she would even put the bread into her own “biological toaster” (inside her brief… backside, not frontside). Each day she worked and each day she managed to get those morons as her customers. She even added some stomach med and made one of them go to the loo 2 or 3 times, but avoided to make it frequent as it would be too flagrant at the end. All the comments posted here made me smile because some think that one must always obey and be subdued even if it is not justified. I would say … and May be it is because I am French (and not North American like many of you) … that those MORONS may have tasers, power, strength… but some date to have it their own way, like “champagning” the food of those who make others suffer. Another cases I saw (on French news) were cases of abusive officers or security agents who were “followed” and some of them had their pictures taken in a very”uncomfortable situation”. There was one case where- I remembered - ana gent was photographed dating underage girls and the pic was then sent to his wife. Many years ago, when I was still working in Western Africa (for - French agency), I have heard stories of abusive agents who thought they were a bit too smart. In one of the case, I remember this story where the wife of one of them was splashed with ketchup sauce on the way home when she came back from buying groceries (at a place which was low in people fréquentation, so quiet place); in another case , I have heard about cases where their cars were (deliberately poorly) painted during the night in pink (in many parts of africa, it is a total embarrassment) and then the picture was sent to the agent’s families or even shared on social media.. Obviously, having power does not mean one should use it. I think that the cops who over use their power are not smart because as we say in France, “il y a toujours moyen” and like it or not, people can always find a way to “fry your butt”. This video clearly shows and confirms that many cops and security agents are so far from being smart - and if they were, they would have been engineers or architects by now! Oh, one last thing, before you make assumptions, I am French myself, or as we call here, un “Français de souche”, but unlike some “morons” who are narrow minded, travels have broadened my mind and also my tolerance to others.

[@ramajax7203]

Make every police station come under cc tv surveillance. This will cut human rights violations by about 75%. This will never happen as we know that the Indian police is the henchmen of the ruling government. That's the main issue. One thing is sure, if they don't mend their ways, there will definitely come a time when the cornered victims will turn predators of the very cops who harass them now. As we are seeing in the US now.

[@spilltea4241]

And body cams A police reform in hiring process. Ban of Lathis and batons

[@modusoperandi1245]

George Joseph Indias No 1 Investigation Officer

[@dhruvitpatel8215]

We really need to talk about this more. It's so commonplace and ingrained that people have accepted it as part of our society. If you get beaten by the police, people ask us what we did wrong. Our police are taught all the wrong things, they hit us with impunity in lock ups and even in the open. They need to be reminded that police brutality is a crime. Also sensitivity training, departmental therapy and less overworking. It's really a problem because the media doesn't report on this and a lot the movies often lionize such police behavior. It really is a shameful trait of our society. Forget about community policing, fear is how they operate. And it needs to change.

[@Thedude88905]

Pls also cover jayraj case just listening to the case itself gave me a shock down my spine. Couldn't imagine the pain they had gone through bcoz of the egos and superiority complex of the police. We need the foreign media to make this an issue otherwise this will continue.

[@Ida-xe8pg]

Nice to see that foreign media does a better job at covering stories than the Indian media

[@123Johnjose]

Indian media especially Kerala Media covered this story so well which makes it more visible and put immense pressure on government. If you are from Kerala you should know it.

[@DippinSauc]

India realy really needs a huge police reform.

[@anshikabhardwaj1734]

justice for jeyaraj and fenix

[@surajprakash8900]

We need to take this seriously

[@aus-li]

Me and you need to go to India and keep these boys in check.

[@aus-li]

@readme info We can do anything with the power of friendship. If you join us, we will be able to do something about it.

[@surajprakash8900]

@readme info At least these things will make people aware and maybe give rise to an Antti-hero in India.

[@deepakkadam420]

Custodial torture and death is normal in India

[@livingstar1271]

Stop police brutality in Kerala Police in Kerala old British rules ,and they only get a suspension with salary even caught , and 99%people get tourchering ,beating , getting 3 rd degree in police station at Kerala State government human rights re silent ,sad very sad

[@pravinkumar-fl9bi]

International organizations, UN have to step into Indian issues. Police torture,casteism, sex crimes every kind of power abuse is on epitome. India needs help from outside world

[@mhamza133]

This is not problem with Indian nation. It's common problem in my country Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. British rule created that type of mentality in police to control protests. But it became police culture in Subcontinent.

[@aneeshprasobhan]

true, but we can't get any results now by blaming them

[@aezakmi3766]

U are actually right in this case, police weren't created to maintain law and order by British but to suppress and keep control , we in India were since 1990 promised police reforms by politicians in their voting agenda pamplet, its 2020 we are still waiting.

[@artevix]

This is way too far! Unfortunately it's like in the Mollywood and Bollywood movies. It's time for #IndianLivesMatter!

[@dilipsaha4732]

Another new hashtag🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@minhajudheenmm]

Nice video and good content. I would like to add one more point its happening all over india .Not only in Kerala

[@Mymerizzy]

It's been 2 years since this video is published, and now the condition become worse than that, custodial deaths has been doubled

[@mightynagato6909]

In my state cops think they're on some movie or some shyt and im sure there is good cops but if 70% of em cops are in this cheap shyt mentality i think the system needs to stop hiring cops easily with few physical trainings i think this news is quite late dou Appreciate it anyway..

[@tripurambac5864]

Same.

[@Ida-xe8pg]

Which state?

[@mightynagato6909]

@@Ida-xe8pg yours and mine

[@Ida-xe8pg]

@@mightynagato6909 Im an Ao person from Nagaland

[@dilipsaha4732]

Which state?

[@mightynagato6909]

Some states during night cops beat up couples for roaming outdoor in em parks i mean..chill bruh.

[@forwardobservations8222]

thats how our society is. no point blaming it on the police.

[@adv.tanmaymalikOfficial]

@@forwardobservations8222 i think u or ur dad is in police lol

[@forwardobservations8222]

@@adv.tanmaymalikOfficial doesn't matter if he is or not. all those restrictions of couple not venturing out late at night and them not being in the same house alone are imposed by the society.

[@adv.tanmaymalikOfficial]

@@forwardobservations8222 and police extortion them

[@forwardobservations8222]

@@adv.tanmaymalikOfficial you are hell bent on villainizing them aren't you?

[@ThangkyIslary]

I will never ever respect those dogs in my life

[@modernphil1049]

It is a shame that custodial torture is a regular procedure in police investigation in India. The Police have argued that their power to exercise torture is the sole reason of crime prevention. It is not. Crime can be controlled by following the due process. There are CCTV cameras in every nook and corner of the city. But none in police cells where most of the crime takes place. Police should be forced to have video recordings of their actions. If a police officer could not produce a video recording of his actions and if the victim has claimed violence, then the police officer should be made to accept the full consequence by assuming that statement provided by the victim is true. Thanks to vice media for covering a major human rights issue in India.

[@heyitsruth1]

Cctv is needed in police stations

[@Thedude88905]

Ohh finally there is media attention on this issue. Our own media doesn't give a shit about this issue. Even the people are not reacting to this issue and only if it happens them to there loved ones they will react. We need to be on streets and protest in front the police stations.

[@josephstalin.2326]

This is worse than the death .

[@akashdobhal3054]

Please follow Indians don't come here just to dislike the video in the name of propaganda. We all know how things are. Our policing is messed up.

[@savio_bernabas]

A hundred percent literate state and one of the developed states in India. Yet, tops the chart of custodial crimes above Bihar.

[@badhariraj.3634]

Atleast, they get reported. You think UP AND BIHAR is all sunshine right? You probably do.

[@adv.tanmaymalikOfficial]

I stay in up bro I see police very closely One of my class mate killed a boy Hia father gives 4 lakh to police and now he free 😬

[@babablacksheep2328]

Because did you see that 80 year old woman who was a daily wage worker? Even though poor, she was literate enough to fight the police in court. Do you think this would happen in Bihar? These statistics are done by the police itself. Do you think the Bihar police would report the same?

[@savio_bernabas]

@@badhariraj.3634 I don't. I would really appreciate if you won't make assumptions or judgements. I was just comparing the literacy rate between two. It's a known fact that the grass is never greener on the other side even though we all think so.

[@savio_bernabas]

@@adv.tanmaymalikOfficial sad story mate.

[@vinaykaushal99]

40 dislikes, must be by the police 🤨

[@supernova8709]

Even if you do thousands of videos about police brutality In India nothing will change because if the police are found guilty they are suspended from their jobs for few days that's like a holiday they are desperately waiting for.

[@aswinas4988]

Good job, Vice Asia. Now that's called responsible journalism. :)

[@duhmusiclover414]

Need body cams for evidence and need a law not to turn it off at any circumstances

[@psychicstonner8086]

Sometime police is like God ... But sometimes police is like DOG licking somebody's feet...😟😡

[@psychicstonner8086]

Many ...many destroyed or turned they life by charging unknown Case's...

[@rajarshichakraborty9141]

But it is true they missuse their power widely

[@navaneethk7061]

Kerala in vice!!!

[@jaigracejjoy]

Never thought I'd see that

[@bisleri2965]

Not something to be happy about.

[@LyroLife]

The Indians need a police for the police.

[@div5293]

Correction at 9:48: Unlike the US Constitution, it's not the 21st Amendment, it's Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

[@bugzymalone7867]

It’s sad to see the justice system so corrupted

[@ChandranPrema123]

Well Communists are ruling

[@harisankar7687]

Please add English subtitles for the video report ,so that every one can understand

[@AkashSingh-uk5ub]

The policemen are also from the same society as we are.The society gets the police as itself

[@hi_minku]

Thanks vice for bringing up these kindof important topics

[@harsharya545]

This video was needed

[@agemchakma2335]

Thank you vice..

[@hemavathikumar9123]

We go by someone else's decision. This is India !!

[@GL-wz2yq]

true stories .well done team vice

[@naruttamkalai5854]

WOW THAT LAWYER IS IS BADASS FORSURE IT IS NOT A JOKE TO BUT INSIDE JAIL TO A POLICE OFFICERS N THAT TOO 2POLICEMAN DIRECT HE MADE THEM PAY THEM IN EXCHANGE THEIR LIFE TO LIFE BCUZ THOSE POLICES THEY TORTURE N KILLED THAT KUMAR N THOSR POLICEMANS WERE SENTENCE FOR DEATH TO SENTENCE TILL DEATH DAMN THATS BADASS STUFFS DONE BY THAT LAWYER FORSURE RESPECT FOR THAT LAWYER MAN FOR BEING SUCH AN BADASS HAHAHA....DAMN

[@gopikrishnanmg5055]

Wow finally...vice gives us the feeling of right intensity , than some national bulletin ( cold stances, dey take)

[@shanidhaneef1950]

#keralapolice 😔😔

[@roytallow6784]

Corruption at its Worst ! The Law ! 😳

[@Ida-xe8pg]

Vice you need to cover the Hathras case because the Indian media doesnt

[@jayvardhanchoudhary7487]

Wait a second Did he said due process or process established by law Because both of them are miles apart

[@kumargoudapatil6587]

Thank you for making this documentary 🙏

[@akash0damawale12d]

Police laws should be redefined for better India

[@TheVkaz]

Training must change for new recruits..Training sucks ...its barbarical

[@artevix]

So....Kerala is not really "God's Own Country"! :P

[@vhs8204]

No place is...its a tourism tagline..

[@artevix]

@@vhs8204 ah OK. I thought it was a nickname

[@anixes]

Then keralites show superiority complex of their 100% literacy.

[@vaishakviswam1970]

Kerala is ruled by commies and gods for them is nothing.....as vishnu said it's just a tourism tagline only

[@Ida-xe8pg]

Ikr Bihar > Kerala

[@rafimotiv2762]

ഇത് കാണുന്ന മലയാളികൾ ആരെങ്കിലും ഉണ്ടോ 😮

[@mejbaahmed]

why dnt u cover Bangladesh news?Bangladesh is out of asia?😠😠😠

[@Ida-xe8pg]

#Bengladesh

[@Ida-xe8pg]

Hathras.

[@worththewatch1517]

"Largest democracy " 🤣🤣🤣

[@worththewatch1517]

@@rektifier6470 stfu

[@drshaw157]

Being ruled by an illiterate

[@MrAllmightyCornholioz]

May Shiva save India

[@AmritSingh-ll5ru]

Please read about K.P.S Gill. He got promotion and so many medals for fake encounters. He is known as supercop in India media. Though Rupan Deol Bajaj file a harrassment case against him and she made to pay him big amount for that.

[@pinkomega4937]

Cover Philippines too

[@saleesks837]

Gods own country👏👏

[@addy7138]

Bro this is just a example. Thing's like this are going all around India

[@Ida-xe8pg]

Ikr Bihar > Kerala

[@harisankar7687]

Thank you vice Asia for reporting on this suject

[@nagaashura2350]

So sad this police should and will never gain our respects. Even they want to try. This is so sad . Hope people will this message understand the truth the new meaning of policing. People life matter . 🇮🇳jey Hind 🙏 Need more and more information We nee to show that we can do whta they can't do Serve the country and his people . Not kill the in cold-blooded. ❤️🙏❤️ INDIAN LIFE MATTERS We all matters. ❤️🙏❤️ BLM.

[@mehedijahan5078]

Becuse they don’t get extra money

[@makachaka]

Mein Vikas Dubey hu kanpur wala

[@aayushgurung8531]

Change your name from vice Asia to vice india

[@arjun-wc6ml]

Modus Operandi

[@ryanmadrideo7144]

😭😭😭😭😭❤️😘

[@babilmathew9518]

Wow malayalees this is very true ithi ellam villai problemmane shirikum

[@e2p281]

🙄

[@bheegibilli1458]

10:57

[@ajay2471]

.

[@KingKing-tz6of]

It's RSS police

[@anixes]

?

[@vaishakviswam1970]

Due u even know who r ruling these states? U think its BJP? Try to research before u spew venom on others who has got nothing to do with these states.........Its the radical Left commies and secular dogs who rules the state and their police......idiot

[@sigmachadtrillioniare6372]

You're dumb

[@aryanjarial6465]

As usual...anti india propaganda...thats thay u don't get any views

[@rahulmandava9029]

So police in our country are good and fight for justice of people keep living in that delusion

[@britishempire3342]

Shut up you piece of shit

[@sylvanodsouza3056]

You stupid person this is the reality you live in and you can’t see it then you’re delusional

[@HiHi-be2lb]

lemme tell you something, modi is a right wing pos who runs the country based on religious divide and wishes to establish a pure hindu state which is hostile towards others and will become the next nazi Germany if this shit continues, infact ask the ppl of Kashmir, how their voice is silenced between the fight, what the media doesn't tell you is that the Indian army is oppressing the youth which is causing them to resort to terrorism

[@itsshitposter]

Bro there's always bad when there's something good, if you want only good things portrayed just go watch Indian news media

[@MRWM-mo6zs]

Please report this for inciting terrorism

[@AK-iu2mp]

INTERESTING STORY FROM FRANCE… Many years ago, around 2002 or 2003, I once met a girl in France whom boyfriend was victim of a racist attack by French cops. One day, about 5 months after the incident, her friend showed her the cops who harassed him, they were having lunch outside a bistrot enjoying their time. The french girl (my friend) wanted to talk to them but realized there was no point doing so (the cops were in group) as how can they prove anything? They went to see a lawyer but he was honest enough to tell tell them that because they had no physical evidence, they had 99% chance to lose the case against those officials. Her boyfriend went into depression as he knew there was no way he could get justice. He also went through months of traumas and had to spend lots of time in therapies. She decided to apply for a job at that restaurant and eventually got it after one of the waiter left his job…. You know what she did? One of the racist moron cop always ordered French onion soup and the other one usually orders beer. At every occasion she had, she would add her own “mouth-made biological champagne”’into the onion soups, steak tartare, or into the beer…. Or coffee (she only did it to the 2 officers who acted violently, not to the others who had nothing to do with the arrest, which to me sounds fair). Some days, she told me she would even put the bread into her own “biological toaster” (inside her brief… backside, not frontside). Each day she worked and each day she managed to get those morons as her customers. She even added some stomach med and made one of them go to the loo 2 or 3 times, but avoided to make it frequent as it would be too flagrant at the end. All the comments posted here made me smile because some think that one must always obey and be subdued even if it is not justified. I would say … and May be it is because I am French (and not North American like many of you) … that those MORONS may have tasers, power, strength… but some date to have it their own way, like “champagning” the food of those who make others suffer. Another cases I saw (on French news) were cases of abusive officers or security agents who were “followed” and some of them had their pictures taken in a very”uncomfortable situation”. There was one case where- I remembered - ana gent was photographed dating underage girls and the pic was then sent to his wife. Many years ago, when I was still working in Western Africa (for - French agency), I have heard stories of abusive agents who thought they were a bit too smart. In one of the case, I remember this story where the wife of one of them was splashed with ketchup sauce on the way home when she came back from buying groceries (at a place which was low in people fréquentation, so quiet place); in another case , I have heard about cases where their cars were (deliberately poorly) painted during the night in pink (in many parts of africa, it is a total embarrassment) and then the picture was sent to the agent’s families or even shared on social media.. Obviously, having power does not mean one should use it. I think that the cops who over use their power are not smart because as we say in France, “il y a toujours moyen” and like it or not, people can always find a way to “fry your butt”. This video clearly shows and confirms that many cops and security agents are so far from being smart - and if they were, they would have been engineers or architects by now! Oh, one last thing, before you make assumptions, I am French myself, or as we call here, un “Français de souche”, but unlike some “morons” who are narrow minded, travels have broadened my mind and also my tolerance to others.