Crime and Punishment in India

Traces the full life cycle of criminal complaints in India to investigate how gender identity impacts access to justice.

This book investigates how the Indian state delivers justice. Combining big data, advanced statistical methods, and ethnographic research, it offers unique insights into gender, law, policing, discrimination, and sexual violence, making it a valuable resource for those interested in how justice operates in practice in the Global South.How does the state deliver justice to citizens? Are certain groups disadvantaged whilst seeking help from law enforcement and the courts? This book charts, for the first time, the full trajectory of accessing justice in India's criminal justice system, highlighting a pattern of multi-stage discrimination and unequal outcomes for women seeking restitution from the state. To probe how discrimination can be combated, the book tests whether gender representation in law enforcement — in the form of all-female enclaves or women-only police stations — affects change. The book demonstrates how certain forms of representation can lead to unintended consequences. By utilizing a range of research designs, the book not only casts a light on justice delivery in the world's largest democracy, but also transports readers into the world of crime and punishment in India.