AN ANALYSIS OF POLICE BRUTALITY IN INDIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
AUTHOR – ANNUBHUTI KAKKAD & ARRYAN MOHANTY, STUDENTS AT SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL, NAGPUR
BEST CITATION – ANNUBHUTI KAKKAD & ARRYAN MOHANTY, AN ANALYSIS OF POLICE BRUTALITY IN INDIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (3) OF 2024, PG. 143-153, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 has profoundly disrupted global dynamics from 2020 through 2021. The pandemic has permeated all nations, regardless of their economic conditions, healthcare capabilities, or military strength. India has also succumbed to the repercussions of this virus and is presently engaged in a concerted effort to combat it. As the struggle escalates against this formidable pandemic, India, alongside its extensive scientific and medical inquiries, has commenced a series of auxiliary measures, including the imposition of a Janta curfew, a nationwide lockdown, restrictions on travel, the lighting of diyas, and the banging of utensils, among other initiatives, to mitigate the proliferation of COVID-19 and enhance public morale. This paper rigorously investigates the phenomenon of police brutality in India amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular emphasis on how the implementation of lockdowns and public health directives intensified occurrences of violence perpetrated by law enforcement agencies. India instituted rigorous lockdown protocols to mitigate the virus’s transmission as the pandemic progressed. Nevertheless, the involvement of law enforcement in the execution of these protocols elicited apprehensions due to pervasive accounts of excessive use of force, especially against marginalized groups such as daily wage earners, migrant workers, and other disadvantaged communities. This examination utilizes various sources, including news articles, case studies, and data from human rights organizations, to investigate the trends in police conduct, the legal frameworks that facilitated such actions, and the broader societal ramifications. It underscores how pre-existing systemic challenges, including inadequate accountability, poorly equipped law enforcement agencies, and socioeconomic disparities, were exacerbated during the pandemic. The research further evaluates the reactions from civil society, the judiciary, and governmental entities, analysing the enduring effects of these events on public confidence in law enforcement. The results indicate an imperative for thorough police reform and the establishment of enhanced accountability mechanisms to avert future occurrences of power misuse, particularly in times of crisis.