Scientific Torture or Social Weapon: Mapping Caste Disparities in the Use of Narco-Analysis

“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” — Martin Luther King Jr. The criminal justice system in India is at a turning point where centuries-old social injustices and scientific discoveries collide. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, almost 66% of the country's prisoners belong to historically disenfranchised Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, according to new data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. In light of this, the use of narco-analysis, a controversial forensic technique that entails the administration of so-called "truth serums," raises significant questions about justice, consent, and societal authority. This essay critically examines the issue of whether narco-analysis serves as an objective scientific tool or as a modern-day social weapon that disproportionately targets disadvantaged groups. Using legal research, media studies, and obscure case histories, the study explores the psychological, social, and societal impacts of narco-analysis and charts trends of caste inequity in its implementation. The study highlights the lack of data that breaks down caste and the role that the media plays in perpetuating stereotypes, in addition to looking at how caste, gender, and regional disparities are interconnected. By questioning the institutional procedures and hidden prejudices that affect the use of narco-analysis, this study argues for greater transparency, robust legal safeguards, and a reconsideration of forensic practice from the standpoints of social justice and human rights. In the end, it calls for quick reforms to stop scientific research from turning into yet another instrument of caste-based oppression in contemporary India.