FROM CUSTODY TO COURTROOM: EVALUATING FORENSIC INVESTIGATION IN CASES OF DEATH UNDER POLICE CONTROL
AUTHOR – ANBUCHEZIAN R* & HEMAVATHY D**
* FINAL YEAR LAW STUDENT, BBA LLB., HONS, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, TNDALU
** FACULTY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, TNDALU
BEST CITATION – ANBUCHEZIAN R & HEMAVATHY D, FROM CUSTODY TO COURTROOM: EVALUATING FORENSIC INVESTIGATION IN CASES OF DEATH UNDER POLICE CONTROL, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (2) OF 2026, PG. 43-52, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
ABSTRACT
Custodial deaths are considered one of the gravest violations of constitutional governance, directly implicating the principle of the State’s duty to safeguard life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. In recent years, there have been several reported incidents regarding the custodial deaths of accused across various states that create a national debate on accountability, transparency, and the effectiveness of investigative procedures. And in those such cases, Forensic Science becomes the principal instrument through which truth can be abstracted, and the responsibility is determined. However, whereas the judicial safeguards have developed over the years through significant judgments such as D.K. Basu vs. State of West Bengal, the operational integrity and judicial assessment of forensic evidence in custodial death cases are still inadequately explored.
This paper critically assesses the forensic evidence chain from the autopsy table to the judicial bench, scrutinizing forensic pathology, injury pattern analysis, toxicology, digital evidence preservation, and chain-of-custody practices. It also explores procedural and evidentiary reforms brought about by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, specifically the focus on forensic directives and digital documentation. The paper reveals a structural deficit between forensic investigation and judicial assessment, contending that the institutional dependence of forensic agencies on police frameworks and disparities in evidentiary standards corrode the efficacy of accountability. It ends with recommendations for forensic empowerment, scientific integrity, and a legitimate transition from custody to courtroom justice.