Global index 2025 ranks India high-risk country for torture and ill-treatment

India has been ranked a “high-risk” country for torture and ill-treatment in the World Organization Against Torture’s first Global Torture Index 2025.

The World Organization Against Torture’s first Global Torture also known as OMC) is a coalition of NGOs working on issues linked to arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and other forms of violence. In association with People’s Watch, the OMCT assessed 26 countries in this index through data collected between 2023 and 2024.

OMCT’s first Global Torture Index 2025 released on June 25, Wednesday, noted that incidents involving severe beatings, forced confessions and custodial deaths frequently occur in India, particularly targeting marginalised communities.

The report listed the common violent practices in the country, which include unlawful detention in unofficial locations and extrajudicial killings, often rewarded with promotions for police personnel. “Human rights defenders are routinely subject to arbitrary arrest, preventive detention and torture and ill-treatment, underscoring a culture of institutional violence and impunity”.

Citing 2024 numbers from the National Human Rights Commission, the report stated that India witnessed 2,739 custodial deaths, more than 2,400 the previous year. In 2022, 1,995 deaths happened in judicial custody.

It noted that legal impunity granted to BSF “severely hinders accountability and justice for victims”. It cites the example of West Bengal, where residents, especially near the Indo-Bangladesh border, face routine violence, torture, and extrajudicial killings by state forces.

India has not ratified the UN Convention Against Torture or its Optional Protocol, despite repeated recommendations . There is no standalone law criminalising torture. Instead, existing provisions under the Indian Penal Code are insufficient and rarely enforced. he recent legal overhaul through laws failed to fill these gaps.

The Index flags a broader crackdown on civil society. More than 30,000 NGOs have lost their registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) continues to be used to stifle dissent. At least, 61 human rights defenders have been jailed under national security laws since 2018.

The report also raises concern over reprisals against activists monitoring public protests, from anti-Sterlite demonstrators to farmers’ agitations. India’s prisons are overcrowded (with 131.4 percent occupancy) and unsafe, especially for marginalised communities.

Conditions are described as “inhumane”, with poor access to food, medical care, and sanitation.

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, one of the largest human rights networks worldwide has recommended downgrading India’s NHRC from ‘A’ to ‘B’ status due to lack of independence and police interference in investigations.

The Global Torture Index 2025 has issued key recommendations for India including:
Urging India to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture.
Train security forces in ethical policing.
End the misuse of anti-terror laws against activists.
Ensure judicial probes into custodial deaths, and strengthen the independence of the NHRC.