CHENNAI: Even as the Director General of Police (DGP) Dr C Sylendra Babu issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) on how to handle a suspect in police custody, reports of alleged police brutality and custodial deaths continued to rock the state this year.

On May 10, in the state Assembly, Chief Minister MK Stalin vowed to put an end to custodial deaths saying, “Whichever party is in power, custodial deaths cannot be justified.” The Madras High Court also had observed the merciless assault and deaths in police custody showed the deplorable state of mind of the policemen.