The Delhi High Court has ruled that the State bears a heightened responsibility to protect the life and dignity of every person in its custody, observing that any custodial death raises serious concerns about the justice system and requires judicial scrutiny.
In a judgment delivered on July 1, Justice Sachin Datta stated that a person does not lose their fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution after being taken into custody. The court emphasised that even if a death in custody is reported as suicide, the State cannot avoid accountability by denying direct culpability.
Describing custodial deaths as a “systemic concern” rather than an isolated tragedy, the court observed that any death resulting from violence, negligence, unexplained circumstances, or suicide reflects a possible failure of the authorities entrusted with the individual’s safety.
The ruling came while hearing a petition filed by the father of a 19-year-old who died in custody at Delhi’s Karawal Nagar Police Station in January 2018. The petitioner alleged that his son had been assaulted, threatened, and subjected to extortion after his arrest, and that official negligence led to his death.
Delhi Police opposed the plea, arguing that compensation should not automatically follow every custodial death and citing the post-mortem report, which attributed the death to hanging without recording any external injuries.
After considering the case, the High Court held that the petitioner was entitled to constitutional compensation and directed the Delhi government to pay ₹18.44 lakh to the victim’s father within eight weeks.
The judgment reinforces the principle that the State has an inalienable duty to ensure the safety and dignity of individuals in its custody and cannot escape responsibility when that duty is breached.
