IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
R.SUBRAMANIAN, K.KUMARESH BABU, JJ.
L.Muruganantham – Appellant
Versus
The State of Tamil Nadu – Respondent
Writ Petition Nos.22431 and 22527 of 2021 and W.M.P.No.23750 of 2021
Decided on : 29-11-2022
Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 226 – Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Sections 294B, 323 and 506(2) – Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 – Writ Petition – Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus – Call for entire records pertaining to order – Payment of compensation – Challenge in both Writ Petitions is to order of State Human Rights Commission, upholding claim of petitioner in WP that action of second respondent in arresting him in violation of guidelines of Hon’ble Supreme Court in reported, amounts to violation of Human Rights and directing payment of compensation petitioner in WP – Held, Court therefore direct Director General of Police to take steps to have a periodical inspection of CCTV Cameras in all Police Stations and ensure their functioning – In order to achieve this, Director General of Police is required to make a District Level Officer in-charge of ensuring functioning of CCTV cameras in certain number of Police Stations in District and such Officers will be responsible for maintenance of Cameras and if there is a failure on his part, he should be held accountable for such failure – Effort if taken, will go a long way in curing malady of non-functioning CCTV Cameras – Court hope that above directions would be complied with in their letter and spirit in interest of Police Force itself – Ordered Accordingly.
ORDER :
R.SUBRAMANIAN, J.
Prayer in W.P.No.22431 of 2021 : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the entire records pertaining to the order in SHRC Case No.2745 of 2020 dated 27.08.2021 passed by the fourth respondent and quash the following in the said order dismissing the said complaint against the 3rd respondent herein and non cognizance of the complaint against 1st respondent herein and order partly not allowing the complaint against 2nd respondent herein and consequentially directing
i. 1st to 3rd respondents to provide compensation of Rs.50,00,000 (Fifty Lakh Rupees) to petitioner for all the human rights inflicted on petitioner.
ii. 1st respondent to comply with Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 and United Nation Conventions of Rights of Persons with Disability with respect to Police and Prison Departments in the State of Tamil Nadu.
Prayer in W.P.No.22527 of 2021 : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of Writ of Certiorari, calling for the records of the 3rd respondent in SHRC No.2745/2020 dated 27.08.2021 and to quash the same.
Challenge in both the Writ Petitions is to the order of the State Human Rights Commission dated 27.08.2021, upholding the claim of the petitioner in WP 22431 of 2021 that the action of the second respondent in arresting him in violation of the guidelines of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Shri D.K. Basu -vs- State Of West Bengal and Ashok K. Johri -vs-State Of U.P, reported in 1997 (1) SCC 416, and in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar and another, reported in (2014) 8SCC 273, amounts to violation of Human Rights and directing payment of compensation of Rs.1,00,000/- to the petitioner in WP 22431 of 2021.
2. While the petitioner in WP No.22431 of 2021 would claim more compensation, the petitioner in the other Writ Petition, viz., WP No.22527 of 2021 would contend that there was no human rights violation, the arrest was just and proper and as such the order of the State Human Rights Commission, imposing penalty and a further direction to take disciplinary proceedings against him are not justified. Since the order under challenge in the both the Writ Petitions is one and the same, the Writ Petitions are heard together and disposed of by a common judgment.
3. The case of the petitioner in WP 22431 of 2021 is that he is a physically challenged person affected with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy which is a progressively worsening locomotive disability. As per the assessment made in the year 2020, the extent of disability of the petitioner is about 80%. He has also been certified to be a physically disabled person entitled to protection under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016. This being so, the second respondent in the said Writ Petition, who was the Sub Inspector of Police in Dharapuram Police Station at the relevant point of time, arrested him on 29.02.2020 at about 10.15 a.m. on the basis of a false complaint lodged by one K.Selvakumar, a henchman of the petitioner’s paternal uncle Dhandapaani, in order to settle scores with him for a civil dispute that is pending in the Civil Court. Despite being a physically challenged person, the petitioner was harassed by the Police and was beaten up. He was also slapped by the second respondent.
4. It is the further claim of the petitioner that though he was taken into custody at 10.15 a.m., the time of his arrest was shown as 1.15 p.m. when he was produced before the learned Magistrate. The petitioner would also allege that the learned Magistrate did not ask any question to him and recorded as if he has not made any complaint against the Police. He had recorded his protest even while receiving the order of remand. It is the further contention of the petitioner that the third respondent in the Writ Petition, viz., the Superintendent of Central Prison had not given him proper treatment as required by the Rights of p
The court held that without credible evidence, an arrest constitutes a violation of Article 21, and compensation may be awarded for wrongful detention.
The judgment establishes the importance of upholding the rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for a reasonable basis for arrest under the Cr.P.C.
The case reinforces the necessity of informing arrestees of the grounds for their arrest and complying with preventive detention laws, establishing that unlawful arrests lead to compensation for viol....
The court emphasized that allegations of human rights violations require substantial evidence, and procedural lapses alone do not constitute violations.
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