IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI, J.
Urmila Devi, wife of Late Ayodhya Mahto – Appellant
Versus
The State of Jharkhand – Respondent
W.P.(Cr.) No. 50 of 2017
Decided on : 26-04-2023
Constitution of India,1950 - Article 21 - Criminal Procedure Code,1973 - Section 156(3) – Death - Police custody – Held, Court direct respondent-State of Jharkhand to pay a sum by way of compensation to petitioner within four weeks - Payment of this amount by way of compensation would not preclude petitioner from pursuing remedy, civil as well as criminal, that is available to her in law in respect of wrongful confinement of deceased - It is also open for respondent-State to recover amount paid by State from the erring officer(s) Considering nature of injury of deceased and also prayer made in petition for further investigation by independent agency and further in a very perfunctory way final form has been submitted making case of suicide, Court direct Director General of Police, Government of Jharkhand, Ranchi to reopen matter and reinvestigate case against erring official(s), who are responsible for such crime.
JUDGMENT :
Heard Mr. Sanjay Kumar, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr. Binit Chandra, learned A.C. to A.A.G.-III, appearing for the State.
2. This petition has been filed for a direction upon the authorities to hand over the case to any other independent agency, particularly the CBI, considering that the husband of the petitioner was put to death in police custody, in connection with Lesliganj P.S. case No. 19 of 2015, which was instituted on the basis of the complaint case No. 1333 of 2014, which was sent under Section 156(3) of the Cr.P.C. and thereafter the said case was registered, now the case is pending in the court of learned C.J.M., Palamu at Daltonganj.
3. Mr. Sanjay Kumar, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is the wife of Late Ayodhya Mahto, resident of Village-Lukuwa, P.O.-Ambabar, P.S.-Pipratar, District-Palamau. He submits that on 09.09.2014 when the petitioner was present in her house with her husband Ayodhya Mahto, the Officer-in-Charge of Lesliganj Police Station Nirmal Oraon has come to the house of the petitioner along with constables Mukesh Singh, Raghunath Paswan and Chaitu Ram and asked her husband to produce her son Manoj Mahto. He further submits that when the husband of the petitioner asked them as to why they are searching for Manoj Mahto and intimated that Manoj Mahto is not present in the house. He further submits that the Officer-in-charge of Lesliganj P.S. Nirmal Oraon told that there is a case against Manoj Mahto, as such either they should produce Manoj Mahto or he will arrest the husband of the petitioner and in the meanwhile villagers also gathered there and after knowing the position, raised protest, then said Officer-in-Charge threatened and said that if they will resist the police, then they will be also arrested. He further submits that due to fear and threatening, the villagers as well as petitioner has been compelled to keep mum and the Officer-in-charge with the help of constables have forcibly taken away the husband of the petitioner. He further submits that after three days i.e. on 12.09.2014, the husband of the petitioner retuned back and disclosed that the Officer-in-Charge as well as aforesaid constables have freed him with a direction to the husband of the petitioner that he will arrange Rs. 1,00,000/-. He further submits that on 18.10.2014 at about 10.00 A.M., while the husband of the petitioner was ploughing the land near his house, once again, the Officer-in-Charge along with said constables has come and taken the husband of the petitioner in their custody and when the husband of the petitioner did not return till the evening, then the petitioner along with villagers and others went to the police station and saw that the police was torturing her husband physically and mentally. He further submits that on 19.10.2014 at about 3.00 P.M. the son of the petitioner has got information on his mobile that Ayodhya Mahto died in police custody and the police has brought the dead body of the deceased to hospital for postmortem without giving intimation to the petitioner or any other family members about the death of the husband of the petitioner. He further submits that the son of the petitioner raised an objection vide letter dated 19.10.2014 to the Superintendent of Police, Palamau, about the postmortem, which was done without giving any intimation to the family members of the deceased family, which is contained in Annexure-1 to this petition. He further submits that the son of the petitioner also represented to the Deputy Commissioner, Palamau vide letter dated 19.10.2012 to take action against the Medical Officer, who illegally conducted the postmortem examination, which is contained in Annexure-2 to this petition. He further submits that the newspaper also reported about the death of the husband of the petitioner in police custody and the paper cuttings have been annexed as Annexure-3 series to this petition. He further submits that
Ashwani Kumar v. Union of India
Prithipal Singh v. State of Punjab
Pravat Chandra Mohanty v. State of Odisha
The State has a constitutional obligation to ensure the safety of individuals in police custody; custodial deaths demand scrutiny and compensatory measures for rights violations.
Court established that mere allegations of custodial torture are insufficient; claims must be substantiated by evidence of violation of fundamental rights to warrant compensation.
The judgment establishes the need for stringent action against custodial torture and the failure to curtail such incidents, emphasizing the findings of the learned Judicial Magistrate and the governm....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the court's authority to award compensation for custodial torture under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, and the calculation of compensati....
The State is responsible for tortuous acts of its employees, and the award of compensation against the State is an appropriate remedy for the infringement of fundamental rights under Article 21 of th....
The court underscored the state's liability for custodial deaths and established a precedent for compensating victims against police violence.
The court emphasized the necessity for independent investigations into custodial deaths and affirmed the intrinsic protection of the right to life under Article 21, mandating scrutiny in cases of sus....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the principle of strict liability for the negligence of the police in cases of custodial deaths, emphasizing the fundamental rights of prisoners an....
The court discussed the legal provisions related to compensation in custodial death cases and applied the principles of compensation applicable in the Motor Vehicles Act to determine the compensation....
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