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2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 117528
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 03.11.2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA
AND
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B.KARTHIKEYAN
W.P.Crl.No.2927 of 2026
CNR: {HCMA012658852026}
K.Arumugathammal ..Petitioner(s)
Vs.
1. State of Tamil Nadu rep. by its, The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition & Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai – 600 009.
2. The Director General of Police & Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Whannels Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008.
3. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Salem – 636 007.
4. The Dean, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem.
5. The Dean, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli.
6. The Superintendent of Central Prison, Tirunelveli.
(R4 to R6, suo motu impleaded today)..Respondent(s)
(A.D.J.C., J.) (B.K., J.)
03.11.2026
skt
Note to office: Issue order copy on 03.11.2026.
To:
1. The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition & Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai – 600 009.
2. The Director General of Police & Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Whannels Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008.
3. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Salem – 636 007.
4. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Tirunelveli.
5. The Dean, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem.
6. The Dean, Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli.
7. The Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Salem.
8. The Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Salem.
9. The Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Tirunelveli.
10. The Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Tirunelveli.
11. The Public Prosecutor, Madras High Court.
12. The Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority, Madras High Court Buildings, Chennai – 600 104.
A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.
AND
B.KARTHIKEYAN, J.
skt
03.11.2026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 03.11.2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA
AND
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B.KARTHIKEYAN
W.P.Crl.No.2927 of 2026
CNR: {HCMA012658852026}
K.Arumugathammal ..Petitioner(s)
Vs.
1. State of Tamil Nadu rep. by its, The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition & Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai – 600 009.
2. The Director General of Police & Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Whannels Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008.
3. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison, Salem – 636 007.
4. The Dean, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem.
5. The Dean, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli.
6. The Superintendent of Central Prison, Tirunelveli.
(R4 to R6, suo motu impleaded today)..Respondent(s)
Prayer: Writ Petition (Criminal) filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents to immediately provide proper and adequate medical treatment to the petitioner’s sons, namely (1) Meenakshi Sundaram, aged 26 years, S/o. Karuppannan and (2) Thirupathi aged 22 years, S/o. Karuppannan and the other injured remand prisoners, namely (3) Solai Mugileswaran, aged 19 years, S/o. Nagalingam and (4) Sabarinathan, aged 24 years, S/o. Palani Sundaram, who are presently confined in the Central Prison, Salem, by referring them to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, for a complete medical examination and necessary treatment, including specialist treatment, as may be medically required and consequently direct an independent judicial inquiry into the alleged custodial assault and ill-treatment of the above prisoners by the prison authorities, within a time frame to be fixed by this Court.
For Petitioner(s) : Mr.P.Pugalenthi
For Respondent(s) : Mr.C.R.Malarvannan, Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
(Made by A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.)
This Writ Petition (Criminal) has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to immediately provide proper and adequate medical treatment to the petitioner’s sons, namely, (1) Meenakshi Sundaram, aged 26 years, S/o. Karuppannan, and (2) Thirupathi, aged 22 years, S/o. Karuppannan; as well as the other injured remand prisoners, namely: (3) Solai Mugileswaran, aged 19 years, S/o. Nagalingam, and (4) Sabarinathan, aged 24 years, S/o. Palani Sundaram, who are presently confined in the Central Prison, Salem, by referring them to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, for a complete medical examination and necessary treatment, including specialist care, as may be medically required; and consequently, to direct an independent judicial inquiry into the alleged custodial assault and ill-treatment of the said prisoners by the prison authorities, within a time frame to be fixed by this Court.
2. The case of the petitioner is as follows:-
2.1 The petitioner’s two sons were detained in Theni District Prison as remand prisoners. While so, the petitioner’s sons and the other two prisoners escaped from the prison on 26.10.2026 and later, they surrendered before the police through their Advocate on 28.10.2026 and were subsequently, remanded to judicial custody and were taken back to Theni District Prison. However, after their surrender, they were subjected to severe physical assault by the Prison Warders by names, Lakshmanan, Karthik and Arun along with other prison personnel, due to which, they sustained grievous injuries all over the body. Further, the petitioner’s son, Meenakshi Sundaram, suffered serious injuries, including an injury to his toe resulting in loss of nail in one of the fingers. Despite the same, neither the petitioner’s sons nor the other prisoners were given proper medical treatment. Instead, on 30.10.2026, the petitioner’s son, Meenakshi Sundaram and the other two prisoners were transferred from Theni District Prison to Central Prison, Salem, without
