Police Misbehaviour in the COVID-19 Pandemic in India, 2020

YUI Miharu

Journal of Urban and Regional Studies on Contemporary India

This paper examines the factors that caused to the misbehaviour of the Indian police towards the population dur-ing the nationwide COVID-19-related lockdown in 2020. The paper is based on a questionnaire survey conducted by The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) between October and November 2020. The results showed that most respondents had witnessed the police providing help, but then police using force or speaking rudely to civilians. Addition-ally, police discriminated against migrant workers, the poor, and Muslims during lockdown. We found that the police officers overworked for long hours; thus, the fear of infection in dealing with large numbers of people for long periods were stress factors contributing to their excessive use of force and rude language. The Indian government needs to lighten the heavy responsibility borne by the Indian police, provide adequate infection control measures, and manage police working hours. The central government should also immediately consider making decisive legal and organisational reforms in the Indian police force.

COVID-19

law enforcement

policing

misbehaviour

India

eng

The Center for Contemporary India Studies, Hiroshima University

(c) 2022 The Center for Contemporary India Studies, Hiroshima University

[ISSN] 2188-5222