According to the Association of Parents of Disappeared People in Kashmir, more than 2,500 people werekilled in 2003. In the last 18 months there have been 54 deaths in custody. The Indian state's proclivity toharass and terrorise has been institutionalised by the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota). In TamilNadu, the act has been used to stifle criticism of the state government. In Jharkhand, 3,200 people, mostlypoor adivasis (indigenous people) accused of being Maoists, have been named in Pota cases. In eastern UttarPradesh, the act is used to clamp down on those who protest about the dispossession of their land. In Gujaratand Mumbai, it is used almost exclusively against Muslims. In Gujarat, after the 2002 pogrom in which anestimated 2,000 Muslims were killed, 287 people were accused under Pota: 286 were Muslim and one a Sikh. Potaallows confessions extracted in police custody to be admitted as evidence. Under the Pota regime, torturetends to replace investigation in our police stations: that's everything from people being forced to drinkurine, to being stripped, humiliated, given electric shocks, burned with cigarette butts and having iron rodsput up their anuses, to being beaten to death.