Ending Custodial Torture: Insights, Global Practices, and Tech-Driven Approach to Accountability in Law Enforcement

"A bold, deeply researched call to end custodial deaths and transform justice systems."Custodial deaths remain a persistent blight on modern democracies, reflecting systemic failures at the nexus of policing, law, medicine, and governance. In "Ending Custodial Torture", Dr. A. Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, IPS, blends his decades of field leadership with scholarly rigor to unpack the medico-legal, administrative, and ethical dimensions of this critical issue.This pioneering work examines how custodial violence persists despite constitutional safeguards and international human rights frameworks. Drawing from global best practices, comparative legal systems, and empirical data, Dr. Ayyanar highlights structural vulnerabilities within institutions and proposes actionable reforms to make policing more accountable, humane, and citizen-centric.With chapters analyzing the medico-legal complexities of investigating custodial deaths, the book underscores the role of forensic science, transparent inquiry, and ethical leadership in building systems that prioritize dignity and justice. It also discusses innovative practices from across the world-from Scandinavian restorative models to UN peacekeeping standards-that demonstrate pathways to reform.Rich in insights and grounded in practical experience, this book is essential reading for policymakers, law enforcement leaders, legal professionals, scholars, and human rights advocates. It is both a scholarly contribution to the field and a clarion call for courage, compassion, and institutional transformation.