Custodial deaths in India
Custodial deaths in India may refer to the deaths of persons in police custody and also to the deaths of persons in judicial custody while undergoing trail or serving a sentence. In the financial year 2021–22, the National Human Rights Commission of India reported 2152 deaths had occurred in judicial custody and 155 deaths had occurred in police custody till 28 February 2022. According a report released by National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT), there were 1606 deaths in 2019 which occurred in judicial custody and 125 death occurred in police custody. In 1997, India signed the  United Nations Convention against Torture. As of April 2022, India is yet to ratify it. Legal aspects. On 18 December 1996, the Supreme Court of India gave the verdict in "D. K. Basu vs. State of West Bengal". The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had started as a result of a letter sent by D. K. Basu, a former Calcutta High Court judge and then executive chairman of Legal Aid Services of West Bengal, to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on 26 August 1986. The letter requested the CJI to examine the issue of frequent custodial deaths, form guidelines to  be followed during arrest and formulate compensation to be provided to the victims/families in case of custodial torture or death. In the 1996 verdict, the court suggested 11 guidelines which covered arresting procedures and compensation in case of death of the detainee. The 2008 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure incorporated some of the suggestions of the Supreme Court of India given in its 1996 verdict. The clauses under the amendment stated that for crimes punishable with prison up to 7 years, the dealing officer should issue a "notice of appearance" instead of arresting the accused. The officer  may however arrest the accused if he fails to comply with the notice. On 6 May 2010, the Lok Sabha passed the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010. However, the Rajya Sabha referred the bill to a select committee as it was felt that the bill was not up to the standards of the United Nations Convention against Torture. The revised bill lapsed when the 15th Lok Sabha was dissolved on 18 May 2014. In 2018, the Law Commission of India suggested in a report that India should ratify the United Nations Convention against Torture and pass a standalone law against  torture of citizens by government agents. The report pointed out that India was facing difficulties in extraditing criminals from other nations dues its reputation of custodial torture.