Jaipur, February 24 The Rajasthan government informed the assembly on Tuesday that 21 cases of deaths in police custody were reported in the state between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025.
In a written reply to a question by MLA Shanti Dhariwal, the government said that 21 custodial deaths were recorded during the two-year period. Details of the actions taken in these cases were also provided.
Responding to a related query on action taken in such cases, the government said that in all instances of deaths in police custody, cases were registered and both judicial and administrative inquiries were ordered.
According to the data, eight custodial deaths were recorded in 2024, while 13 such deaths occurred in the year 2025. The government informed the House that a probe was pending in nine cases, all of which occurred in 2025.
The government said that the judicial inquiry ordered in all cases where the investigation was complete, found no negligence by police staff except in one case, where a departmental inquiry was recommended. All deaths occurred either due to natural causes or by suicide.
Custodial deaths remain a sensitive issue, often drawing scrutiny from courts and human rights bodies, with mandatory judicial probes required under existing legal provisions.