Indian police have been accused by an international rights organization of widespread human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch alleges in a report that Indian police was guilty of illegal detentions, beatings, torture and unlawful killing of victims in custody, with impunity.

The group has reportedly spent a year investigating claims of the violations to compile the 118-page report.

The Rights Watch emphasized that there has been little change in attitudes ever since the Indian security forces were established in 1947 when the country gained independence from Britain.

The report compiled from interviews with more than 80 police officers and 60 victims of police abuse, as well as experts and activists, said that suspects were often beaten to "extract confessions".

In some instances, suspects have been tied to wooden sticks and tortured by turning them upside down until they fainted.

The group urged the New Delhi government to adopt effective measures in order to overhaul a failing system.

"India's status as the world's largest democracy is undermined by a police force that thinks it is above the law," said Brad Adams, the Asian director of Human Rights Watch, on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

JR/MB/MD