The historical heritage of the colonial police system in India reflects the continuity of the law enforcement structure, mindset and practices that the British colonial rulers originally designed and applied to control and suppress them, rather than protecting or serving the Indian public. The heritage is associated with the enactment of the Indian Police Act of 1861, which was passed immediately after the revolt of 1857 – a major rebellion that threatened British rule in India. In response, the British government formed a centralized police force whose focus focused on maintaining colonial system, protecting imperialist interests and stopping any rebellion in the future.
Under the Act, the police system was based on military hierarchy, bureaucracy control and dominance of the executive, in which the district magistrate (British or loyal Indian officials) had full authority over police functions. The officials were not accountable to the public, and the common citizens were treated with doubt, enmity and oppression. The idea of “Police system for the public” was deliberately excluded.
Even after India’s independence in 1947, the Indian Police Act of 1861 remained in force with only minor changes. This old colonial law is shaping the modern Indian police system with autocratic attitude, lack of public accountability, political intervention and control-centered approach. Thus, the colonial police system has deeply influenced the current Indian police system and promoted a culture that often gives priority to force rather than power and justice rather than service.
1. Colonial foundation of Indian police system
The roots of India’s police corruption are vested in the colonial past, especially in the enactment of the Indian Police Act of 1861. The act was passed by the British colonial government just after the revolt of 1857, a rebellion that shook the British rule in India. The Act formed a police force not for the welfare of the people, but to fulfill the British imperialist interests. Its main objective was to suppress any possible rebellion, control the Indian population through fear and pressure and maintain British dominance. It was a militant, hierarchical and powerful system. At the top were the British, while Indians were admitted to the lower level to follow orders, not to think independently. This police system model deliberately discouraged democratic principles like transparency, accountability and public service. Instead, it promoted the culture of obedience, fear and repression – these characteristics, unfortunately, are still present in many parts of the Indian police system.
2. Damit on service model
Since 1861, the Indian police system was structured as a control mechanism from one top to bottom, whose main objective was to protect colonial power, not to protect public rights. Indian citizens were seen in terms of doubt, not as a citizen of rights, but as subjects to be controlled. This created a culture where force and violence were considered normal. There was no idea of seeing the police as a “public servant”. The police were considered to be the representative of the rulers, not of the public. Over time, even after independence, this oppressive model could not be abolished. Unlike many other democracy, where the police system became more transparent and accountable to civil power, India almost unchanged this colonial structure, which promoted corruption, torture in custody and institutional cruelty.
3. Lack of reforms after independence
In 1947, India gained independence from British rule. However, there was no major structural reforms in the Indian police system which were being expected in a new democratic society. Despite being designed for colonial rule, the Indian Police Act of 1861 remained in force. No comprehensive National Police Act took it a place. As a result of this failure in modernization of the system, the same hierarchy, centralized and opaque police system remained dominated. Politicians and bureaucrats found this system useful to maintain control over people, especially during elections, public protests and political unrest. Due to lack of democratic police system, professional morality and accountability came to a standstill, which promoted corruption.
4. Police barbarism and inheritance of torture in custody
Since 1947, in the decades, especially in the post -independence decades, the Indian police have been involved in cruel practices reminiscent of colonial methods. In custody, torture, fake encounters (judicial murders), third-degree inquiries and forced crime confessions became widespread. They were rarely prosecuted. The reason for this is the culture of institutional protection, lack of independent monitoring and freedom from punishment through old laws. The police were still used as a tool for “handling” law and order from violence rather than suppressing disagreement, intimidating political rivals and constitutional morality. In many democrats like Britain or Germany, police reforms were made to make the police system in accordance with civil rights and law rule after World War II. India missed this change. The colonial heritage was preserved – not destroyed.
5. Political control and intervention
From the 1950s, Indian politicians at both state and national levels started using police force for personal or political gains. Police transfer, promotion, posting and investigation were deeply politicized. Senior police officers were forced to act as per the wishes of their political masters rather than the Constitution. This provided an opportunity to get grace and promotion through grace and promotion to corrupt officials, such as harassing opposition leaders or manipulating cases. In return, these officers were saved from accountability. The connivance between the police and the political class contained in the colonial model of centralized control caused continuous erosion of professional policing norms.
6. Lack of independent monitoring
During the 1960s and 1970s, while some administrative reforms were suggested by various commissions, India failed to create strong, independent police monitoring bodies. Most of the democratic countries, the police accountability system consists of the Civil Review Board, Lokpal institutions and independent prosecutors for police misconduct. But in India, complaints against the police are often settled by police or politically affected bureaucrats. Lack of external investigation allowed corrupt and violent officials to work free from punishment. During the colonial period, the police continued to get protection from the public investigation. This created a shield around institutional corruption.
7. Lack of police-judicial trust
Since the 1970s, surveys and research studies began to register the growing public disbelief in police institutions. People from marginalized communities, especially Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis and poor, were afraid of him instead of trusting the police. This fear stems from the daily experiences of harassment, forced recovery and violence. Police stations were seen as the center of misuse of power rather than the place of justice. A bribe was sought to file an FIR (first information report) and false cases were registered for money or bias from the victims. The maintenance of such colonial attitude (instead of considering people as citizens) towards “subjects” strengthened the culture of corruption and fear, whose roots are in history.
8. Recommendations of National Police Commission
Between 1979 and 1981, the National Police Commission (NPC) was established to study the problems of the Indian police system. This was one of the most important efforts to improve police system after independence. The Commission highlighted corruption, political misuse and separation towards the public. This recommended a fixed term for the officials, independent complaint authorities, freedom from political pressure and radical-chol reforms including civil-centered policing. However, these recommendations were not implemented in the absence of political will. The colonial control model did not even touch. The Commission’s warning about the dangers of the unnecessary police force has proved to be accurate in countless cases of police misuse and corruption.
9. Supreme Court intervention on police reform (year: 2006)
In 2006, after decades of inactivity of the Central and State Governments, the Supreme Court of India intervened in the matter through the decision of Prakash Singh vs India. The court issued seven binding instructions for police reform, including the State Security Commission, Police Establishment Board, Fixed Terror for Officers and the establishment of the Police Grievance Authority. The purpose of these instructions was to reduce political intervention and increase accountability. However, most of the states either ignored these instructions or applied them superficially. This resistance shows how deep the colonial heritage was rooted, and how powerful people still preferred a political, corrupt police force that could be used for control instead of service.
10. Police involvement in fake encounters and forcible recovery
In the 2000s and 2010s, several high-profile cases were reported in which police were found to be involved in fake encounters (judicial killings), forcibly recovery from businesses and even criminal conspiracies with gangsters. In states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, the killings in the encounters, despite being illegal, were celebrated as a heroic act. This normalization of illegal killings was inherited by the strategy of the colonial period in which the suspected rebels were hanged without any trial. The police were considered like a judge, jury and executioner. It continues even today, and such uncontrolled powers are often used to take bribes or to eliminate uncomfortable persons, causing the police corruption to deepen.
11. NCRB data on police corruption and torture
According to statistics released in 2010 and early 2020 by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the barbarity and corruption of the police remains worrying. Every year dozens of detained deaths occur, many of which are caused by torture. However, the conviction rate of policemen is very low. This reflects a system that is designed for its own defense – this characteristic is directly inherited by British colonial policies, where the law applied was above the law. Citizens are constantly suffering because the police are rarely held accountable, and internal discipline is weak or compromised.
12. Political and police protest against reform
Since the directions of the Supreme Court of 2006, the main reason for the non -implementation of police reforms is opposition to political and police leadership. Politicians benefit from a police force that they can control, and senior officials prefer a system that gives them uncontrolled power and money. This institutional resistance to reform lies deeply in the structure left by the British. Improvement means prohibition on illegal earnings, reduction in political power and increase in accountability – these are things that do not want corrupt elements in both politics and police. As a result, there has been no meaningful change even after about 80 years of independence.
13. International Comparison in Police Development
Globally, many countries that were once colonized – including South Africa, Ghana and Malaysia – have progressed towards improving their police system by creating a democratic, mass -focused policing model. Even after World War II (1945), European countries also reorganized their police forces to ensure human rights, transparency and public belief. In contrast, India retained the British policing structure of 1861 with minimal amendments. It gives a distinct identity to the Indian police – a huge democracy whose policing system is still powerful, centralized and old.
14. Heritage in modern India
2024 and even then, Indian police still works under the same 1861 Indian Police Act in many states. Although some states like Maharashtra and Kerala have passed the updated Police Act, the overall structure, culture and functioning remain of colonial nature. The result is a system where power dominates service, and corruption flourishes under the guise of punishment. Until India breaks this colonial heritage and adopts real reforms – as experts have suggested and the Supreme Court has ordered – corruption, cruelty and public disbelief will continue in the police system.
Conclusion
Finally, the historical heritage of the colonial police system in India has created a deep defective system where corruption, misuse of power and suppression of rights are institutionally prevailing. From the Indian Police Act of 1861 to the unsuccessful implementation of reforms in 2006, the colonial mentality has dominated the Indian police system. It is not only a historical foot-tippani, but a vibrant reality, which affects millions of citizens per day. The only solution for this is to bring a radical change in the police system through legislative, administrative and cultural reforms and to free the Indian police system from the shackles of colonialism. Till then, the ghost of 1861 will keep harassing Indian democracy.
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