“Akira Kurosawa’s classic ‘Roshomon’ is a reminder that there are several versions of the same story, each seeming right, depending on who is saying it, when it is said and from what standpoint.” Dr. S. Muralidhar, Judge, High Court of Delhi, The Trajectories of Criminal Law. In part two of this series, we focus on police narratives, or on the “official” version of events. We explore the excuses, reasons and causes of death according to the Police and other state bodies in all 15 cases. In this essay we discuss data on the types and frequencies of different official causes of death in police and judicial custody. We also highlight the various kinds of torture inflicted on persons in custody, and include studies on police biases against individuals from certain sections of society. The Police in India often attribute deaths in police or judicial custody to “natural causes”. Viral infections,…

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