S. Muralidhar, J.

Introduction

1. Mr. Rajan Janardhan Mohandas Pillai (hereafter "Rajan Pillai"), a businessman of Singapore, died in the Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital ("DDU Hospital"), New Delhi on 7th July 1995 while he was in judicial custody, lodged in the Central Jail, Tihar, New Delhi. In order to ascertain the relevant facts and circumstances leading to the death of Rajan Pillai, the Lieutenant Governor ("LG") of the National Capital Territory of Delhi appointed a Commission of Inquiry consisting of Justice Leila Seth, a former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court by a notification dated 27th July 1995 under Section 3 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952. The report of the Leila Seth Commission of Inquiry ("LSCI") dated 25th February 1997, inter alia, dealt with the question whether in the death of Rajan Pillai, there was negligence on the part of any authority. The findings in this regard by the LSCI have been made the subject matter of this writ petition filed on 20th April 1998 by Ms. Nina Rajan Pillai, the wife of Rajan Pillai, and their two sons.

2. The writ petition, inter alia, seeks a declaration that the Respondents, i.e., the Union of India in the Mi