India's human rights record in 2011 got a thumbs down from a leading global rights group for its "failure" to protect vulnerable communities and rapped the government for custodial killings, police abuses, including torture.
Human Rights Watch also criticised the Indian government for its inaction in repealing the controversial armed forces act and for remaining silent on the "gravest abuses" in countries like Syria.
In its World Report 2012, Human Rights Watch (HRW) assessed progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries. In India's case, HRW said it has been a "disappointing year for human rights".
"Custodial killings, police abuses including torture, and failure to implement policies to protect vulnerable communities marred India's record in 2011 as in the past," HRW said in its report.
HRW said the Indian government took no action to repeal the "widely discredited Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), disregarding the recommendations of political leaders and advisers.
HRW however said violence in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir dropped significantly during 2011. While the government has promised a thorough inquiry into the discovery of over 2000 unmarked graves in the state.
