This writ petition has been filed for issue of a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent to pay a sum of Rs. 5,00,000/- as compensation on account of the injury sustained by the petitioner in the course of an attack that occurred during his detention in Sub Jail, Nagercoil.

Projected case of the petitioner:

2. The petitioner was arrayed as fifth accused in Cr. No. 16 of 1996 on the file of Asaripallam Police Station in Kanyakumari District and he was remanded on 5.3.1996 and confined in Cell No. 8 of Sub Jail, Nagercoil from 5.3.1996 along with other prisoners.

3. While so, on 9.4.1996 at about 3.10 hours, when all the prisoners and remand prisoners like the petitioner were locked up in the cell, an armed gang trespassed into the Sub Jail with deadly weapons such as aruval, country gun, iron road etc. and forced open the cell in which the petitioner and other prisoners were locked up and they started attacking one Lingam Muthulingam.

4. In the course of such attack, the petitioner as well as other prisoners were attacked and finally, head of the prisoner Lingam Muthlingam was severed from his body and the same was taken away by the gang. All the other prisoners who were in