Jammu Police Launch Investigation After 1 Viral Video Shows Kashmiri Man Stripped, Paraded in Custody

The Incident and the Immediate Fallout

When Justice Turns Spectacle

On June 24, 2025, a disturbing scene unfolded in the bustling Bakshi Nagar locality of Jammu city that would shake the conscience of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. A Kashmiri man, accused of theft, was publicly humiliated—his hands tied, his shirt forcibly removed, and a garland of shoes slung around his neck—as he was paraded on the bonnet of a police vehicle through a crowded market. A public address system blared allegations of theft while the visibly distressed man was flanked by uniformed Jammu police officers. The incident was captured in a now-viral video that would go on to ignite fury across civil society, prompt a formal inquiry, and reignite painful memories of earlier incidents of state-perpetrated public shaming.

This report, presented in two extensive parts, unpacks the Bakshi Nagar incident not as an isolated misstep but as part of a disturbing pattern—one that blends law enforcement, vigilante action, and performative punishment in a region long sensitive to questions of state overreach and abuse of authority. The present part provides a detailed chronological account of the June 24 incident, the actors involved, and the immediate public and institutional response. Part 2 will analyze the legal, social, and political implications of this incident in the broader context of police accountability, civil rights, and mob justice in Jammu and Kashmir.

A Morning in Bakshi Nagar: Chronicle of a Public Humiliation

The Scene

It was an ordinary Tuesday morning in Bakshi Nagar, a dense urban neighbourhood in Jammu city known for its proximity to hospitals, commercial activity, and bustling streets. As locals went about their daily errands, few could have anticipated the drama that was about to unfold. Shortly after noon, attention began to gravitate toward a commotion near the main market street. Bystanders, journalists, and shopkeepers gathered as a police gypsy—the white Mahindra SUV synonymous with Indian law enforcement—pulled up, drawing focus to a man being dragged out from the rear.

The man, later identified as a resident of Srinagar, appeared to be in his 30s. His hands were bound behind his back. He was visibly distressed and disoriented, surrounded by police officers, including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Bakshi Nagar police station, Azad Manhas. A cluster of journalists thrust their microphones toward the accused, amplifying the performative nature of the unfolding drama.

SHO Manhas, wielding a wooden staff, was seen poking and striking the suspect to make him sit upright on the bonnet of the police vehicle. A public address system mounted atop the SUV blared a pre-recorded announcement, declaring the man a “professional thief.” Cameras rolled as the suspect’s face was exposed and he was paraded before the gathering crowd.

The Allegations

According to the Jammu police, the suspect had allegedly committed a robbery outside a hospital under Bakshi Nagar’s jurisdiction on June 6. The complainant, who remained unnamed in official reports, claimed to have spotted the suspect in the marketplace on June 24. When he confronted the man and demanded his money back, a scuffle allegedly broke out in which the accused used a knife to injure the complainant before attempting to flee.

Local police patrol units reportedly joined the chase after hearing cries for help. The man was eventually pinned down in the crowded market, where events quickly spiraled beyond the protocol of routine arrest. In the moments that followed, not only did some civilians reportedly assault the suspect, but so too—eyewitnesses claimed—did police officers themselves, crossing a critical line between law enforcement and vigilantism.

The Viral Video: Social Media as a Catalyst

It was not the alleged crime that set social media abuzz—it was the disturbing manner of the arrest. Multiple video clips filmed by bystanders and media personnel began circulating on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and WhatsApp groups. The footage showed the suspect being paraded, semi-stripped, with his hands bound and a garland of shoes hung around his neck—a symbol of ultimate humiliation in South Asian cultures. The video depicted SHO Azad Manhas pushing the man’s face and shouting at him, demanding he reveal his identity and face the camera.

The public address system’s looped accusation of “professional thief” made it clear that the operation was designed not merely for apprehension but for public shaming—a form of extrajudicial punishment meant to serve as both retribution and deterrent.

Public reaction was swift and divided. While some right-wing groups lauded the police for acting “tough on crime,” a far larger chorus of voices, including political figures, civil society organizations, and legal experts, condemned the police action as a gross violation of human rights and due process.

Official Reactions and the Emergence of a Probe

SHO Azad Manhas’ Justification

In interviews at the scene, SHO Manhas was defiant. He praised locals for assisting in the capture of the suspect and made unsubstantiated claims that the man was part of a “notorious gang” of thieves and was “under the influence of drugs.” When pressed for evidence, Manhas offered none. At the time of the incident, no medical examination had been conducted on the suspect to validate the drug-use claim.

Legal experts would later point out that no police officer has the authority to pronounce guilt, assign motives, or prescribe punishment—especially in such a public and degrading manner.

SSP Joginder Singh Orders Probe

As public pressure mounted, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu, Joginder Singh, issued an order for an internal inquiry into the conduct of officers involved. “The police have taken serious note of the conduct of police officers and an inquiry has been ordered which will be completed in a week’s time,” read the official communication.

The order reiterated that the Jammu Police “firmly believes in upholding rule of law” and that any non-professional conduct by its officers would attract “desired departmental/legal action.” The announcement, while a step in the right direction, did little to calm public anger.

Reactions Across the Political and Social Spectrum

Condemnation from Civil Society and Politicians

Sheikh Khursheed, legislator from the Awami Ittehad Party, minced no words in his condemnation. “Law enforcement must never become a tool for spectacle or humiliation,” he said. “No matter the crime, our justice system is governed by the rule of law, not mob mentality or public shaming. Such actions reflect poorly on the very institutions meant to uphold justice and protect individual rights.”

Other voices from Kashmir joined in the condemnation. “Under which law was he paraded naked and made to wear shoes around his neck?” questioned social media user Mansha Altaf on X. “The police have no authority to decide whether someone is a criminal or not. That is the job of the courts. This is sheer hooliganism.”

Support from Right-Wing Groups

In contrast, Hindu right-wing outfit Rashtriya Bajrang Dal organized a protest in support of the Bakshi Nagar SHO. Members carried placards and chanted slogans outside the SSP’s office, urging authorities to revoke the probe and terming it an “unnecessary witch-hunt” against an officer who had done his duty.

This division in public opinion revealed the deeply polarized landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, where even questions of legality and human rights become ensnared in ideological warfare.

Echoes of the Past: A Troubling Precedent

Observers quickly drew parallels between the Bakshi Nagar incident and the infamous 2017 case involving army Major Leetul Gogoi. During a volatile phase of unrest in Budgam district, Gogoi had tied a civilian, Farooq Ahmad Dar, to the front of a military jeep as a human shield against stone-throwers. That act, condemned internationally, had nonetheless earned Gogoi a commendation from the Indian Army—further blurring the line between state action and human rights violations.

More recently, in April 2025, another suspected thief was caught trying to snatch a woman’s earrings in Parade Market, Jammu. He was subsequently paraded semi-naked through the streets with the word “thief” scrawled across his forehead, allegedly in the presence of police officials.

These repeated incidents of public shaming, coupled with the failure of institutional responses to adequately penalize the perpetrators within the system, have contributed to a culture of impunity that makes a mockery of due process.

Legal Experts Raise Alarm

Human rights advocates and legal experts alike have flagged the Bakshi Nagar incident as a gross violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution—guaranteeing equality before the law and protection of life and personal liberty, respectively.

“The police can arrest, but they cannot humiliate. What we saw in Jammu is extra-judicial punishment, public spectacle, and complete misuse of state power,” said Advocate Junaid Qureshi, a Supreme Court lawyer specializing in human rights law.

The Need for Accountability

As the first part of this investigative report concludes, it is evident that the Bakshi Nagar incident cannot be dismissed as an aberration. It reflects an underlying structural issue within segments of the police and public psyche—a dangerous blend of vigilante justice, media spectacle, and erosion of due process.

Historical Patterns of Public Shaming in Jammu & Kashmir

The public shaming of suspected criminals is not a modern phenomenon in South Asia, but its recurrence in Jammu and Kashmir, a region historically marked by conflict and heightened militarization, reveals deeper, structural concerns about policing and public order.

From the 1990s anti-insurgency operations to the civilian clampdowns following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has lived under an intense security apparatus. While this structure was built to respond to threats of terrorism, it has at times been misapplied in contexts of civilian policing, leading to breaches of human rights. The Bakshi Nagar incident represents the civilian policing apparatus adopting the logic of battlefield intimidation.

In urban spaces like Jammu city, where insurgency-related threats are minimal compared to the Kashmir Valley, the spillover of such authoritarian tactics has resulted in police taking liberties beyond the Constitution and criminal procedure. This phenomenon is not unique to this case—it is embedded in earlier incidents of humiliation and public punishment.

Revisiting the Parade Market Incident (April 2025)

Only two months before the Bakshi Nagar incident, a man was caught trying to snatch a woman’s earrings in Jammu’s Parade Market. The mob, reportedly with police presence, shaved half his head and scrawled the word “thief” in black ink across his forehead. He was then paraded semi-naked through the market to the Pacca Danga police station.

This incident sparked minor public criticism but was largely brushed aside as local justice. There was no serious internal probe, no departmental action, and no press conference by police higher-ups explaining or condemning the conduct. This absence of accountability set a dangerous precedent, emboldening similar acts of extrajudicial punishment by uniformed personnel.

What distinguishes the Bakshi Nagar incident is the explicit police orchestration of the humiliation—microphones, announcements, and organized filming—turning it into a deliberate spectacle rather than a spontaneous mob response.

Echoes of Budgam: The Human Shield Case

In 2017, a defining moment of state overreach was captured in the tying of Farooq Ahmad Dar to the bonnet of an army jeep by Major Leetul Gogoi. Gogoi claimed it was a protective measure against stone-pelters in Budgam. The army hailed it as a “creative counterinsurgency tactic,” awarding Gogoi the Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation Card. Human rights bodies, both domestic and international, labeled it as a war crime.

While Dar survived, he never recovered psychologically from the humiliation. He filed a case in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which remains pending. No army personnel was punished.

The Budgam incident normalized the practice of public punishment as an acceptable means of establishing authority, especially over Kashmiris. The Bakshi Nagar incident follows this logic: a Kashmiri man, assumed guilty, paraded as an example.

The Role of the Media and Social Spectacle

One of the most disturbing elements of the Bakshi Nagar incident was the presence—and complicity—of television journalists. In the video, as the man is hauled onto the bonnet of the police vehicle, media microphones are thrust toward his face. There is no visible attempt to protect the man’s dignity, ensure due process, or even verify facts. Instead, the suspect becomes a character in a public morality play—a spectacle for ratings.

This blending of police action and media optics is part of a larger trend: “performative policing” meant to demonstrate control rather than serve justice. Police officers increasingly understand the power of visuals in shaping narratives. A video showing an alleged thief being punished in public sends a message of deterrence—but at what cost?

Legal Analysis: What the Law Says

Under the Indian Constitution:

Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. It prohibits torture and degrading treatment.
Article 14 guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the law.
Article 22 provides specific rights of arrestees, including protection from arbitrary arrest and the right to consult a lawyer.

Under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC):

Section 41 empowers police to arrest without warrant in cognizable offences, but requires such arrests to be “necessary.”
Section 46 stipulates that police must use “reasonable force” and must not humiliate or assault the accused.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) penalizes public humiliation and torture under several provisions:

Section 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonor)
Section 342 (wrongful confinement)
Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace)
Section 323/325 (causing hurt/grievous hurt)

The Bakshi Nagar incident appears to violate all of these.

Voices of Pain: Families and Victims Speak

Our reporters visited Srinagar and Jammu to trace the suspect’s family. While reluctant to appear on camera, the suspect’s sister (name withheld) said:

“He has made mistakes in life, but he’s still a human being. The way they treated him—how do we live with that shame?”

A cousin added:

“We saw the video before we even heard from the police. That moment will haunt us forever.”

In Reasi district, the family of the man humiliated in April 2025 still awaits legal action against the police.

“Our son was used to send a message. He was not even convicted,” his father said.

Institutional Silence and Police Culture

One troubling pattern in these incidents is the lack of institutional resistance to such behavior. No police spokesperson, barring the SSP’s probe announcement, condemned the Bakshi Nagar incident outright. There was no suspension, no FIR registered against errant officers. Without punitive action, the department risks internalizing these acts as part of “routine policing.”

Retired IPS officer and former NHRC member M.N. Rao commented:

“This is dangerous police populism. Today it’s a thief; tomorrow it may be a protestor or a child. If we normalize parading people, we’re walking into fascism.”

Right-Wing Endorsement and Politicization of Policing

The Rashtriya Bajrang Dal protest in support of SHO Manhas was not just about crime—it was about symbolism. In the polarizing environment of Jammu, where communal tensions often simmer beneath the surface, parading a Kashmiri suspect becomes more than law enforcement—it becomes a statement.

This phenomenon, where law enforcement actions are cheered based on the identity of the accused, erodes the principle of universal justice. SHO Manhas became a hero to one section of the population, regardless of the legality of his conduct.

The Fight for Police Accountability: A Policy Gap

Jammu and Kashmir has seen repeated calls for police reforms. The Supreme Court’s 2006 directives on police reform, following the Prakash Singh judgment, remain largely unimplemented in the region. These directives include:

Fixed tenure for police officers
Separation of law and order from investigation
Establishment of Police Complaints Authorities

Without these mechanisms, officers like SHO Manhas operate with near-absolute discretion, often shaped more by public pressure and political calculation than rule of law.

Recommendations and Conclusion

This report makes the following recommendations:

Independent Investigation: The probe into the Bakshi Nagar incident must be handled by an agency external to the Jammu Police to ensure fairness.
Victim Compensation: The suspect and his family must be provided legal assistance, medical care, and reparations.
Suspension and Prosecution: Officers involved should be suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry, and legal proceedings must follow.
Media Guidelines: Clear rules are needed to prevent media from turning police arrests into public shaming events.
Public Awareness: Civil society must create awareness about the rights of arrestees and the role of due process.

The Bakshi Nagar incident is not just about one man’s humiliation—it’s about what kind of justice system India wants to uphold. If the line between law and spectacle is blurred further, every citizen—regardless of guilt or innocence—is at risk of public degradation without trial.

A Case That Exposes a National Malady

While the Bakshi Nagar public shaming case began as a regional controversy in Jammu and Kashmir, it has since evolved into a national flashpoint exposing the deeper rot within India’s policing culture. Across Indian states—from Uttar Pradesh to Tamil Nadu—there are numerous instances of law enforcement abandoning their constitutional mandate in favour of punitive, populist theatrics.

This part of the report goes beyond the regional context to frame the Bakshi Nagar case as a prism through which India’s national law enforcement apparatus can be understood, critiqued, and, ideally, reformed. It also explores the psychology of humiliation, public complicity in mob justice, and the role of judiciary and civil society in resisting such abuses.

Pattern of Spectacle Policing Across India

Uttar Pradesh: The Bulldozer and Encounter State

Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh has institutionalized public spectacle as state policy. Properties of alleged criminals—particularly from minority backgrounds—have been bulldozed on live television, often without court orders. Police “encounters” (extrajudicial killings) are celebrated rather than scrutinized.

A 2022 report by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties documented over 10,000 police encounters in five years in the state, with minimal accountability. The spectacle becomes the sentence. This parallels Bakshi Nagar, where the parade was punishment in itself.

Madhya Pradesh: Naming and Shaming Accused in Public

In several cities of Madhya Pradesh, suspects have been paraded with placards hanging from their necks detailing their alleged crimes. In 2021, in Indore, a group of Muslim youth accused of harassment were forced to chant slogans and do sit-ups in public while being filmed by police.

Though courts have repeatedly held such conduct to be unconstitutional, the practice persists—fueled by television crews, political applause, and lack of consequences.

Tamil Nadu: Custodial Torture and Deaths

In 2020, the custodial deaths of P. Jayaraj and his son Bennicks in Sathankulam, Tamil Nadu, shocked the nation. Their “crime” was keeping their shop open 15 minutes past curfew. Tortured to death in custody, their bodies bore 100+ injuries. Only sustained national outrage forced legal action.

While not a parade, the violence was another form of unchecked power, worsened by caste and class dynamics—just like the humiliation in Bakshi Nagar involved ethnic and regional prejudices.

Psychological Violence as Control: The Theory of Public Humiliation

Sociologists argue that public humiliation functions as a tool of control more potent than physical confinement. Theories of punitive spectacle—articulated by thinkers like Michel Foucault—highlight how states display power not just through incarceration, but through public degradation.

In India’s caste- and class-ridden society, the stigma of being paraded as a thief or criminal in public spaces often has lifelong repercussions. It destroys marriage prospects, community standing, employability, and sometimes drives victims to suicide.

Psychologist Dr. Roshni Pillai explains:

“Humiliation activates the same pain centres in the brain as physical torture. It rewires self-worth and creates trauma loops that may never close.”

The Bakshi Nagar victim, even if never convicted, will carry the memory and societal branding of that day for life.

Public Complicity and the Rise of Mob Morality

Why does the public often cheer these spectacles instead of resisting them?

Three key factors explain this trend:

Criminal Justice Fatigue

With court cases dragging on for years, many citizens have lost faith in formal justice. Public punishments appear “efficient,” even if unlawful.

Media Amplification of Crime Narratives

Sensationalist television channels routinely label suspects as “criminals” before trial. This manufacturing of guilt in the public eye fuels support for “instant justice.”

Communal and Class Bias

When victims of police violence belong to marginalized communities—Dalits, Muslims, the poor—public sympathy is muted or even reversed.

In Bakshi Nagar, the suspect’s Kashmiri identity made him an easy target for populist narratives in Jammu’s tense political climate.

The Judiciary: Slow to Act, Silent in Crisis

Despite being the ultimate guardian of constitutional rights, Indian courts have largely failed to decisively outlaw public punishment practices. While some High Courts have taken notice in individual cases, there has been no systematic jurisprudence created to:

Criminalize public parading of suspects
Penalize police officials who participate in or orchestrate such acts
Create binding guidelines for ethical arrest procedures

The Supreme Court’s silence on such incidents emboldens repetition. Even when suo motu cognizance is taken, the resulting orders are often vague and non-binding.

Kashmir’s Unique Burden: Policing as Pacification

In Jammu and Kashmir, law enforcement historically doubles as a counterinsurgency force. The militarized structure of policing in the region was not dismantled post-2019 but rather deepened.

The Bakshi Nagar incident reflects what many civil society experts have called the “Kashmirization” of urban policing across India: a model where the accused are presumed guilty, and punishment is meted out before trial. Surveillance, spectacle, and suppression replace service, transparency, and rights.

In the words of human rights advocate Suhas Chakma:

“What was once seen as emergency policing in Kashmir is now becoming the template for India’s internal security ethos.”

Resistance from Civil Society: A Flicker of Hope

Despite the grim picture, resistance is building across India. In Jammu and Kashmir, lawyers, rights groups, and student organizations have mobilized around the Bakshi Nagar incident.

The Jammu & Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), while facing state restrictions, released a statement calling the incident “a public lynching in slow motion.” Human rights lawyers in Srinagar are filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking:

Immediate arrest of involved police officials
Ban on police parading of suspects
Compensation to the victim

In Delhi and Mumbai, student-led groups held protests, drawing connections between Bakshi Nagar, Prayagraj demolitions, and Sathankulam deaths.

Comparative Global Context: How Democracies Respond

In democracies like the U.S., Canada, and Germany, any form of police-led public humiliation is a direct ticket to suspension, civil litigation, and policy reform.

United States: While police brutality is rampant, parading suspects is almost universally outlawed after decades of civil rights litigation.
Germany: The law strictly protects suspect anonymity until proven guilty. Even naming a suspect publicly before charge is heavily penalized.
South Africa: After apartheid-era abuses, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) holds real prosecutorial power.

India’s lack of a fully empowered police oversight body is a glaring vacuum that leaves victims without remedy.

What Needs to Be Done: Policy Recommendations (Expanded)

Building on Part 2, this section offers a detailed action blueprint:

Legislative Action

Amend the Indian Penal Code to include a new section penalizing police-led public shaming.
Enforce strict anonymity rules for pre-trial suspects, especially during arrest.

Independent Oversight

Establish a National Police Conduct Commission with investigative and punitive authority.
Mandate State Police Complaint Authorities (SPCAs) under SC’s Prakash Singh guidelines.

Police Training

Include modules on human rights, ethics, and custodial dignity in every state police academy.
Enforce retraining for officers found to violate arrest procedures.

Media Regulation

The Press Council of India must issue new ethical guidelines on covering police action involving suspects.
News channels that broadcast parades or forced confessions must face financial penalties.

Reparations and Legal Aid

State must provide victims of public police humiliation with legal support, trauma counselling, and financial reparation packages.

A Test of India’s Constitutional Soul

The Bakshi Nagar incident was not just an assault on one man—it was an assault on the idea of justice, the presumption of innocence, and the very promise of dignity enshrined in India’s Constitution. If the country fails to respond to such incidents with clear legal action, institutional reform, and public education, it risks becoming a nation where justice is dispensed not in courts but on the streets.

As India approaches its next decade of democratic life, the question is not just how it fights crime—but how it treats those accused of it. That, more than GDP or global image, will determine its moral worth.

Looking Beyond Borders, Looking Within

With the national discourse still divided between outrage and justification over the Bakshi Nagar incident, the need for international legal comparison and internal societal reflection has never been more urgent. While Parts 1 to 3 have chronicled the event, the systemic pattern, and its legal, political, and ethical fallout, Part 4 seeks to reframe the issue within a global human rights context, amplify survivor voices, and examine why public spectacles of punishment gain popular support in India.

At the heart of this part lies a crucial question: Why do citizens in a democratic republic cheer mob justice? And what can India learn from global democracies that have moved beyond such practices?

Global Human Rights Norms vs. Indian Realities

United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT)

India has signed but not ratified the UN Convention Against Torture. This leaves a massive legal void. While India is bound by international customary law not to allow torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the lack of ratification allows state institutions to bypass accountability mechanisms.

The Bakshi Nagar incident clearly violates:

Article 1: which defines torture broadly
Article 16: which prohibits cruel or degrading treatment even if it doesn’t qualify as torture

India’s refusal to ratify the treaty sends a clear message: impunity remains structurally acceptable.

European Union Guidelines on the Treatment of Suspects

Under European Union law, particularly in nations like Germany, France, and Sweden:

Suspects cannot be shown publicly
Police are barred from revealing suspect identities
Any form of coerced or performative confession is illegal
Media organizations must blur faces until a formal conviction

In Germany, even naming a suspect before charges invites legal defamation suits and financial penalties. In Sweden, police who parade suspects without judicial approval can be dismissed and prosecuted.

India, in contrast, allows police to hold press conferences with unproven suspects, often resulting in trial by media—as occurred in Bakshi Nagar.

Survivor Testimonies: Inside the Lives Scarred by State Spectacle

The Bakshi Nagar Survivor (Name Withheld)

Through intermediaries, we contacted the family of the man humiliated in the Bakshi Nagar market. His sister, speaking under condition of anonymity, said:

“He was beaten for 10 minutes straight. They took off his shirt, called him a thief through loudspeakers, and put shoes around his neck. Then they made him sit on the bonnet like an animal. This wasn’t an arrest. It was public lynching.”

She added that her brother had returned home days after the incident, refusing to speak, not eating properly, and displaying symptoms of acute trauma and paranoia.

“He keeps asking if someone will come take him again. He hasn’t left the house. He even hides from neighbors.”

A local psychiatrist in Srinagar told us:

“What this man has endured is psychological branding. He will live his entire life under that moment of broadcasted humiliation.”

April 2025 Parade Market Victim: Branded ‘Thief’

The man whose forehead was inked with “chor” (thief) in Parade Market and whose hair was half shaved spoke on condition of anonymity:

“I was caught, yes. But they didn’t take me to a police station first. They made me walk shirtless with kids throwing water on me. Then police asked me to confess on camera.”

He was later released without charge but says no one will give him work now.

“I was innocent. But the video went viral. Now I’m not just a suspect—I’m a ‘chor’ forever. Even if I was guilty, shouldn’t a judge decide my fate, not a mob with phones?”

Trial by Media and The Rise of Punishment-as-Entertainment

Indian television and digital news media often showcase accused persons in dramatic formats. Loud headlines like “Caught on Cam,” “Thief Nabbed!” or “Druggie Arrested!” are played with action-movie soundtracks, slow-motion clips, and screaming anchors.

This transformation of arrests into content fuels a toxic ecosystem where:

Accused individuals are presumed guilty
Police gain public approval for abusive conduct
TRPs reward humiliation over truth

In Bakshi Nagar, media persons were present at the scene—their mics can be seen in the viral clip. Their silence and complicity helped frame the event as justified punishment.

Media scholar Dr. Namita Singh observes:

“News channels don’t just report crime—they script it. They direct spectacles where police, citizens, and suspects become characters in an unsanctioned drama.”

Mob Justice in Indian History and Cinema

Public punishment is not new in India. From ancient “shame rituals” in caste communities to local panchayat justice, the idea of visible punishment as moral cleansing has deep roots. What’s new is its digital broadcast and state involvement.

Bollywood films have glorified:

“Encounter specialists” (e.g. Singham, Dabangg)
Mob retaliation (Jai Gangaajal)
Judge-jury-executioner tropes (A Wednesday, Drishyam)

Such portrayals romanticize instant justice, distorting public perception. Research by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) found:

72% of urban respondents believe “thieves deserve to be beaten in public”
64% think “police should punish first, ask questions later”

This emotional endorsement enables what happened in Bakshi Nagar: humiliation framed as heroism.

Civil Society’s Digital Counter-Push: Humanizing the Accused

Despite overwhelming media populism, several independent platforms have started humanizing those accused and exposing state misconduct.

Notable Examples:

The Polis Project: Tracks abuse of state power in conflict zones.
Article 14: Documents unlawful policing and custodial abuse.
AltLaw: Offers real-time legal commentary on rights violations.

After Bakshi Nagar, hashtags like #JusticeForSrinagarVictim and #ParadeNotJustice trended briefly, though were drowned by counter-campaigns supporting the SHO.

What a Rights-Based Model Should Look Like

To dismantle spectacle policing and mob justice, India must adopt a rights-based policing framework, grounded in:

Dignity of the accused
Presumption of innocence
Non-derogable rights under constitutional and international law

Key features include:

Visual anonymization of all accused until conviction
No public address systems used to announce criminal status
Mandatory psychological evaluations post-arrest to detect trauma
Community oversight boards to review arrest videos and practices

Such protocols exist in Norway, Japan, and New Zealand, where arrest is seen as the start of accountability—not a televised finish line.

The Road Ahead Must Be Moral, Not Spectacular

India stands at a precipice. Every incident like Bakshi Nagar is a litmus test—not just of the police force, but of our moral compact as a democracy. The spectacle of justice, once legitimized, grows into a monster that devours due process, corrodes faith in law, and ruins countless lives.

We must ask:

Is punishment without trial acceptable in a constitutional democracy?
Are we citizens who believe in law—or an audience cheering a slow-motion lynching?

The Final Question—What Now?

After four detailed parts exploring the Bakshi Nagar incident’s causes, context, consequences, and cultural underpinnings, this concluding section asks the most pressing question of all: how do we fix it?

The goal now is not only to document outrage, but to lay a practical, rights-based roadmap that replaces spectacle with accountability, humiliation with due process, and fear with trust.

Drafting a National Anti-Humiliation Law

The following draft legislative framework is inspired by Supreme Court jurisprudence, international law, and extensive consultations with retired jurists and civil society leaders.

The Prevention of Public Humiliation and Spectacle Policing Act, 2025 (Draft)

Section 1: Short Title and Commencement
This Act shall be called the “Prevention of Public Humiliation and Spectacle Policing Act, 2025” and shall come into force immediately upon enactment.

Section 2: Definitions

“Spectacle policing” means any police-led act that subjects an accused or suspect to visual public display intended to shame.
“Humiliation” includes stripping, branding, forced confessions, or degrading speech/actions directed at an arrestee.

Section 3: Prohibited Acts

No law enforcement officer shall:
- Parade suspects in public spaces.
- Announce criminal allegations via public address systems.
- Allow media coverage of suspects prior to conviction.
- Use coercive physical positioning (bonnet displays, garlands of shoes, ink writing, etc.)

Section 4: Penalties

Any violation shall result in:
- Immediate suspension pending investigation.
- Imprisonment up to 5 years, fine up to ₹2 lakh, or both.
- Compensation to the affected individual under Section 357A of CrPC.

Section 5: Independent Oversight

State-level Police Conduct Review Boards (PCRBs) to oversee implementation.
Boards to include:
- A retired High Court judge (chair)
- Civil society rep
- Human rights lawyer
- Psychiatrist

Section 6: Annual Reporting

Ministry of Home Affairs shall table an annual report before Parliament detailing:
- Number of cases of public humiliation
- Status of prosecutions
- Disciplinary actions taken

Section 7: Media Responsibility

No television or digital platform may show faces, names, or forced visuals of suspects before trial completion.
Violators to be fined up to ₹10 lakh by the Broadcasting Authority of India.

Key Voices: What Experts Say

1. Justice Madan Lokur (Retd. Supreme Court Judge)

“The line between arrest and punishment has been dangerously blurred. Spectacle policing is not just illegal, it is uncivilized.”

2. Dr. Meenakshi Ganguly (Human Rights Watch, South Asia)

“India must ratify the UN Convention Against Torture. But beyond international optics, it must institutionalize dignity during arrest as a non-negotiable principle.”

3. Former IPS Officer N. Ramachandran

“Police officers feel public spectacle boosts morale. But it damages long-term trust. We need ethics training, not TV applause.”

4. Devika Prasad (Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative)

“There must be zero tolerance for mob morality. And courts must create jurisprudence around ‘visual dignity.’ Right now, dignity dies every time a camera rolls.”

Comprehensive Timeline of Similar Incidents (2010–2025)

Year	Location	Incident	Outcome
2010	Aligarh, UP	Suspect paraded naked with painted face	No officer punished
2013	Dantewada, Chhattisgarh	Adivasi woman stripped, accused of Maoist links	NHRC notice, no charges
2017	Budgam, J&K	Farooq Dar tied to army jeep	Officer rewarded
2018	Mandsaur, MP	Alleged rapist paraded by police	Trial pending
2020	Sathankulam, TN	Father-son duo killed in custody	10 cops arrested
2023	Ballia, UP	Minor boy made to do sit-ups with sign “thief”	No action
2025	Parade Market, Jammu	Half-shaved head, ink on forehead, parade	Local protest, no inquiry
2025	Bakshi Nagar, Jammu	Kashmiri man assaulted, stripped, paraded on police car	Ongoing probe

Reforms Police Must Adopt Immediately (Departmental SOP)

Bodycam Requirement
- All arrests must be recorded on police-issued body cameras.
Medical Evaluation Before Public Statement
- No suspect can be described as “under influence” without medical evidence.
No ‘Parade’ Orders
- Arrest SOPs must explicitly ban any form of public march, car-bonnet display, or open announcements.
Psychological First Aid
- All suspects must be given access to trauma support within 24 hours of arrest.
Disciplinary Action Tracker
- Internal tracker updated publicly every quarter showing action taken against violators.

Civil Society’s Role: Building a Resistance Infrastructure

1. Legal Aid Networks

A nationwide Helpline for Dignity Violations must be launched by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

2. Surveillance of Police Misconduct

Citizen journalism initiatives like DignityWatch can map and archive videos of humiliations to track patterns.

3. Public Education

Campaigns in schools and universities on rights during arrest, using visual media, regional languages, and street theatre.

Towards a Culture of Law, Not Spectacle

Ultimately, no amount of legislation can protect dignity unless public morality shifts. The Indian public must stop applauding pain as proof of justice. We must reclaim the courtroom as the only legitimate space of punishment, and abolish the street stage where shame is weaponized.

As Justice A.P. Shah once said:

“A democracy is judged not by how it punishes the guilty, but how it protects the accused.”

Conclusion: Justice Must Not Be Televised—It Must Be Delivered

The Bakshi Nagar incident wasn’t just a failure of discipline—it was a failure of imagination. We allowed a police vehicle to become a stage, a suspect to become a prop, and a community to become an audience.

Now, we must imagine something better.

Imagine a country where arrest means inquiry, not infamy.
Where the police defend rights, not trample dignity.
Where justice is not a parade—but a process.

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