[Custodial torture] Tripura High Court directs State Govt to pay Rs 2.5 Lakh as compensation to woman
The victim was called to the police station where she was detained for a considerable period of time for the purpose of interrogation in an alleged theft case. On the same evening, the woman was admitted to a hospital by her family members who alleged that she had been subject to physical assault by police.
The Tripura High Court recently directed the State government to pay Rupees 2.5 Lakh as compensation to a woman who had been subjected to custodial torture during the investigation in a theft case.
The bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice S. G. Chattopadhyay held, "From the medical reports available on record, it stands established that she was physically assaulted during interrogation in police custody".
Court observed that even without registering a case, the woman had been called to the police station merely on the basis of a telephonic information received from one of victim's neighbours that the victim, along with her husband, had stolen some gold ornaments.
Court stated that the medical report of the victim on the day of her custodial torture clearly indicated that abrasions were found over both buttocks of the victim and the concerned doctor had also opined that cause of injury was impact of hard and blunt force.
In light of the same, court opined that it stood established that the victim had been subjected to custodial torture.
The suo moto case was initiated by the High Court on a news report regarding the custodial torture inflicted on one Priyashi Datta (Debnath).
It was state's version that though the woman had been called to the Police station on October 26, 2021 for interrogation in connection with the theft case, she fell ill during the interrogation and was taken to a hospital where she was given proper treatment and thereafter she was released.
However, the amicus curiae in the case, submitted that as per the victim, the allegations of theft were false and she was physically tortured by the police. The amicus further placed the medical records of the victim, from which it was clear that she had been subjected to physical assault.
Therefore, stating that the victim was entitled to monetary compensation for the wrongs done to her, court directed the state to pay the compensation as stated above to the victim.
Case title - Court on its own motion v. The State of Tripura and others