Rajasthan has recorded 20 deaths in police custody during the last two years, with most of them linked to health issues, while one person died after falling into a well during an escape attempt. The figures between August 2023 and August 2025 were revealed in a report tabled during the State Assembly’s monsoon session, which ended on September 10.
Civil rights groups in the State have expressed concern over the custodial deaths and demanded judicial inquiry into each of them and transparent investigation into the cases classified as suicides or medical causes, in order to ensure accountability.
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The information was provided in the Assembly in response to a query by Congress MLA and chief whip Rafiq Khan. The report said that 12 of the deaths could be attributed to health conditions, while six of the inmates died by suicide. No police man was found guilty in any of the custodial deaths.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said here on Friday (September 12, 2025) that the deaths in police custody were a grave violation of human rights, with disregard to constitutional and legal safeguards. “Every custodial death reflects administrative negligence and the claims of suicide in custody are often suspect, appearing to mask torture, neglect, or inhuman treatment,” PUCL-Rajasthan president Bhanwar Meghwanshi said.
