{
 "record_id": "CW-2025-0074",
 "status": "current",
 "merged_id": "CWC-1374",
 "alias_merged_ids": [],
 "display_title": "Delhi Man v. State (W.P.(C) 3476/2013)",
 "display_title_redacted": "Delhi Man v. State (W.P.(C) 3476/2013)",
 "state": "Delhi",
 "district": "Delhi",
 "district_at_time": null,
 "city_town": null,
 "police_station_or_unit": "Tihar Jail",
 "court": "High Court of Delhi",
 "court_as_verified": "High Court of Delhi",
 "bench": null,
 "case_title": "Delhi Man v. State (W.P.(C) 3476/2013)",
 "case_number": "W.P.(C) 3476/2013",
 "citation": "2025:DHC:XXXX",
 "judges": [
  "Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar"
 ],
 "judgment_date": "2025-06-12",
 "date_precision": "day",
 "judgment_year": 2025,
 "incident_date": "2013-05-03",
 "incident_year": 2013,
 "category": "Custodial death",
 "admin_category": "brutality",
 "admin_subcategory": "custodial_death",
 "subcategory": "custodial_death",
 "subcategory_display": "custodial death",
 "protest_override_heuristic": false,
 "outcome_type": "adverse_finding_compensation",
 "sections": [
  "357A CrPC",
  "Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme 2018",
  "Article 21"
 ],
 "officers": [
  {
   "name": null,
   "rank": "Jail Officials",
   "role": "named_in_finding",
   "unit": "Tihar Jail",
   "publish_grade": "unnamed",
   "name_public": null,
   "display": "Jail Officials, Tihar Jail"
  }
 ],
 "officer_count": 1,
 "victims": [
  {
   "name": null,
   "gender": "male",
   "descriptor": "Delhi man"
  }
 ],
 "victims_redacted": null,
 "anonymised": false,
 "victim_count": 1,
 "sentence_type": "compensation_only",
 "sentence_max_years": null,
 "compensation_inr": 300000,
 "force": "state_police",
 "primary_source_url": "https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/app/showFileJudgment/68012062025CW34762013_211156.pdf",
 "secondary_sources": [
  "https://lawyerenews.com/legal_detail/custodial-death-right-to-compensation-flows-from-article-21-irrespective-of-conviction-or-acquittal-delhi-high-court"
 ],
 "summary": "The High Court awarded compensation for the custodial death of an undertrial prisoner killed in a gang fight in Tihar Jail, holding that the State's duty to protect prisoners' lives under Article 21 is absolute. The Court expanded the definition of 'dependents' under the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme to include siblings and grandchildren, ruling that marital status of daughters does not affect entitlement. The Court directed immediate payment of ₹2 lakh (difference from NHRC's interim ₹1 lakh) and ordered DSLSA to determine further compensation up to ₹10 lakh.",
 "summary_verified": "The High Court awarded compensation for the custodial death of an undertrial prisoner killed in a gang fight in Tihar Jail, holding that the State's duty to protect prisoners' lives under Article 21 is absolute. The Court expanded the definition of 'dependents' under the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme to include siblings and grandchildren, ruling that marital status of daughters does not affect entitlement. The Court directed immediate payment of ₹2 lakh (difference from NHRC's interim ₹1 lakh) and ordered DSLSA to determine further compensation up to ₹10 lakh.",
 "court_quote": "A prisoner, whether convict or undertrial, retains all his fundamental rights, including the right to life under Article 21. The State cannot abdicate its responsibility merely because the deceased had criminal antecedents. Compensation for custodial death is not charity, it is a constitutional right.",
 "court_quote_para": "18",
 "confidence": "medium",
 "verdict": "accept",
 "verdict_note": "Judge is wrong: the judgment was delivered by Hon'ble Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, not [name withheld].; court_quote (para 18) could not be verified verbatim: confirmed phrases include 'it is the bounden duty of the State to ensure the safety of persons who are in its custody' and Article 21 propositions, but the exact sentence 'Compensation for custodial death is not charity, it is a constitutional right' was not confirmed in the extract.; Rest verified: W.P.(C) 3476/2013, decision 12-06-2025, petitioner [name withheld] (mother, later substituted by legal representatives), deceased [name withheld] who died 03-05-2013 in Tihar Jail, NHRC interim Rs 1 lakh already paid, DVCS 2018 range Rs 3-10 lakh, dependents include siblings/grandchildren, State vicariously liable.",
 "verification_status": "V2",
 "verification_badge": "V2 · Externally reported",
 "tier_badge": "Externally reported",
 "tier": "Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded",
 "tier_history": [
  "Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded"
 ],
 "allegations": [
  {
   "category": "Custodial death",
   "primary": true,
   "position": "Material fact supported",
   "position_explainer": "Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.",
   "official_finding_relation": "supports allegation"
  }
 ],
 "institutional_response": [
  {
   "date": "2025-06-12",
   "action_type": "Order issued",
   "status": "Concluded",
   "authority": "High Court of Delhi",
   "independence": "External",
   "legal_effect": "Binding",
   "description": "The High Court of Delhi recorded adverse findings against police personnel.",
   "disposition": "adverse finding compensation",
   "source": "2025:DHC:XXXX",
   "recheck": "Not yet re-checked."
  }
 ],
 "later_proceedings": [],
 "final_outcome_url": null,
 "followup_history": [
  {
   "date": "2026-09-24",
   "scope": "Swarm scout and independent verification pass (Muse Spark)."
  }
 ],
 "followup_status": "checked",
 "last_checked": "2026-09-24",
 "link_checked_per_url": [
  {
   "url": "https://delhihighcourt.nic.in/app/showFileJudgment/68012062025CW34762013_211156.pdf",
   "link_checked": null
  },
  {
   "url": "https://lawyerenews.com/legal_detail/custodial-death-right-to-compensation-flows-from-article-21-irrespective-of-conviction-or-acquittal-delhi-high-court",
   "link_checked": null
  }
 ],
 "source_assessment": {
  "established": null,
  "basis": null
 },
 "v3_basis": null,
 "publication_basis": null,
 "reviews": [],
 "retracted": {
  "is_retracted": false
 },
 "fidelity_checked": false,
 "verified_by": [
  "swarm-verify-cop-dl-hc"
 ],
 "merged_case_id": "cop-dl-hc-7",
 "officers_named_public": 0,
 "record_flag": null,
 "service": "police",
 "watch": "babuwatch"
}