JUDICIAL DIRECTIONS AND POLICE REFORMS IN INDIA: CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVES, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
AUTHOR – SATHYARAJ K K, LLM STUDENT, CRIMINAL LAW DEPARTMENT, TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, PERUNGUDI CAMPUS, CHENNAI 600013
BEST CITATION – SATHYARAJ K K, JUDICIAL DIRECTIONS AND POLICE REFORMS IN INDIA: CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVES, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (9) OF 2026, PG. 710-718, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
Abstract
Police reform in India has emerged as a constitutional and institutional imperative in response to persistent challenges such as custodial violence, arbitrary arrests, political interference, and erosion of public trust in law enforcement. This study critically examines the evolution, legal foundations, and contemporary relevance of police reforms in India through an analysis of constitutional provisions, statutory frameworks, judicial interventions, and reform committee recommendations. Anchored primarily in Articles 14, 21, and 32 of the Constitution, the paper explores how judicial activism—particularly through landmark decisions such as D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal and Prakash Singh v. Union of India—has shaped procedural safeguards, accountability mechanisms, and structural reforms within policing. The research further evaluates the influence of major police reform committees, including the National Police Commission, Malimath Committee, and Soli Sorabjee Committee, alongside recent legislative developments under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. By examining implementation challenges, state responses, and recent instances of custodial misconduct, particularly in Tamil Nadu, the study highlights the persistent gap between normative legal frameworks and operational realities. The paper concludes by proposing a rights-oriented, institutionally autonomous, and citizen-centric model of policing that integrates constitutional morality, legislative enforcement, judicial oversight, and administrative accountability as the way forward for meaningful police reform in India.
Keywords: Police Reforms, Judicial Activism, Custodial Violence, Constitutional Rights, Prakash Singh Case, D.K. Basu Guidelines, Police Accountability, BNS and BNSS, Rule of Law, Human Rights