CUSTODIAL

DEATH

Professor & Lawyer Puttu Guru

Prasad
VVIT Nambur 93 94 96 98 98
 CUSTODIAL DEATH
A death in custody is a death of a
person in the custody of the police,
prison service or other authorities.
 deaths resulting from police or
prison officers attempting to detain
a criminal or a person escaping or
attempting to escape from police
custody or prison.
TRAUMATIC ASPHYXIA
ARM LOCK OR NECK HOLDS
BLUNT INJURY
ALCOHOL
SUICIDE
NATURAL CAUSE OF DEATH
 Traumatic asphyxia:

When several policemen fall upon

a resisting offender to overpower
him
 CUSTODIAL DEATH
Arm-locks or neck holds:
Applied by policeofficers to resisting persons
are other causesof deaths during arrest.
The arm lock is applied either from behind or
with the head of the offender tucked under the
police officers arm against the waist.
 compression of the front and sides of the
neck and death can occur .
either from reflex cardiac arrest or
cerebral ischemia during carotid
compression or asphyxia from airway
obstruction, though the latter is unlikely
to be the sole mechanism.
 CUSTODIAL DEATH
Blunt injury

may occur from the use of fist, arm or leg and

by use of a weapon such as a truncheon, riot
stick or pistol butt.
Any type of blunt injury may be received. Head
injuries may occur during a scuffle from falls
either against the ground, or against a wall or
other obstruction.
 ALCOHOL
is a frequent cause of death in custody and also it
is major factor in provoking aggression and violent
resistance.
When blood alcohol levels rise to above
350mg/100mL there is an increasing risk of coma and
central respiratory depression.
At lower blood alcohol levels there is still the
risk of aspiration of vomitus and choking on gastric
contents.
At autopsy, this aspiration should be distinguished
from the common agonal phenomenon .
 SUICIDES

in custody are quite common. Most

police forces deprive the prisoner of any objects
that could be used to hang himself in the cells
such as belts, braces, cord or even bootlaces.
In addition, the police cell may be specifically
designed to avoid any convenient suspension
points, such as bars, hooks, internal door handles.
 CUSTODIAL DEATH

Deaths may occur from purely natural causes,

usually of cardiovascular origin and no objective
proof can be provided when the emotional and
physical upset of being arrested an confinement
may have affected the blood pressure and heart
rate sufficiently, by an adrenaline response, to
have precipitated an acute cardiaccrisis in the
presence of severe preexistingdisease
 Investigations of Torture and Custodial
Deaths

All deaths in custody should be examined with

care to ensure that the guardians are cleared of
any suspicion of ill-treatment.
The torture and custodial deaths are confirmed
by circumstantial and corroborative evidence.
The victim is usually in detention in or some

form of custody.
 Investigations of Torture and Custodial
Deaths
Such types of death are usually involved with
the non-cooperating attitude of the authorities that are
hostile to impartial injury.

The cases are handed over to the responsible authorities

such as Red cross, Amnesty International, Physicians for
human rights.

.There is usually delay in the process before a victim is

being brought for examination, the injuries may have
healed and body may have decomposed. Body is
sometimes disposed off early.
 Investigations of Torture and Custodial
Deaths

The causes of deaths in torture or custodial

deaths may be sepsis, haemorrhage, internal
organ injury and even sheer exhaustion.