Cong MLA Rafeek Khan demands full disclosure on 20 custodial deaths

Jaipur: Congress MLA Rafeek Khan Sunday criticised the state govt for giving "incomplete and evasive" replies to his question on custodial deaths in Rajasthan and called it a serious breach of accountability.

TOI reported Saturday that the government, in response to Khan's query in the assembly, admitted to 20 custodial deaths between August 2023 and August 2025 across 14 districts. Khan pointed out that the data lacked basic details and was riddled with contradictions.

"For instance, in the report, there is the name of the deceased, Gabbar Singh from Bharatpur. But the entire column is blank about how he died or when he died," Khan told TOI. He added that similar discrepancies plagued other cases. "In Jaisalmer, the report mentions two Bangladeshi nationals being taken into custody but does not clarify which of them actually died," he said.

Khan alleged that the government was deliberately underreporting or misclassifying causes of death. "One man died of heatstroke in custody, but the report claims it was a natural death. How can death by heatstroke in police custody be called natural? It is a complete failure of the police," he said.

The MLA said not a single case reflected strict action against responsible officers. "This has been a persistent problem in almost all answers. Who prepared this report, and did they even read their own replies before submitting them?" he asked.

Khan has demanded that the govt furnish complete information on each custodial death, including date, cause and disciplinary action taken. He said families of the deceased deserved justice and transparency.

The Congress legislator's criticism comes even as the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of custodial deaths and sought compliance with its earlier orders mandating CCTV cameras in police stations.