# Manali Man And Ors. vs State Of Himachal Pradesh And Ors

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0004](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0004)

## Report card

By judgment dated 18 March 1997, the High Court of Himachal Pradesh (Coram: M. Srinivasan, Lokeshwar Singh Panta, JJ.) returned findings adverse to 5 police personnel, namely: Station House Officer, Manali Police Station; Assistant Sub-Inspector (Additional SHO), Manali Police Station; Constable No. 145, Manali Police Station; Constable No. 1019, Manali Police Station; Constable No. 1037, Manali Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 1 lakh (Rs 1,00,000).

- Register number: HP 34 CW 0001
- Case reference: 1998 ACJ 632
- Court and date: High Court of Himachal Pradesh (Coram: M. Srinivasan, Lokeshwar Singh Panta, JJ.), 18 March 1997
- Officer(s) at the material time: Station House Officer, Manali Police Station; Assistant Sub-Inspector (Additional SHO), Manali Police Station; Constable No. 145, Manali Police Station; Constable No. 1019, Manali Police Station; Constable No. 1037, Manali Police Station
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Article 21 of the Constitution of India; Article 22(2) of the Constitution of India; Section 223 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “There can be no doubt whatever that the police officials were negligent and failed to perform their duties enjoined on them by law.” (at para 26)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 1 lakh (Rs 1,00,000).
- Present status of the proceedings: No further proceedings are recorded in the cited sources; the judgment is the concluded position shown.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/63109/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0004)

**Record:** CW-1997-0004 (compiler id CWC-0058); case CHANDI-004
**Title:** Manali Man And Ors. vs State Of Himachal Pradesh And Ors
**Court:** High Court of Himachal Pradesh; judges: M. Srinivasan; Lokeshwar Singh Panta
**Case number / citation:** 1998 ACJ 632
**Judgment:** 1997-03-18 (1997, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1993-06-05 (1993)
**Place:** Kullu, Himachal Pradesh; city town: Manali; police station or unit: Manali Police Station; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** Constitution of India Art. 21; Constitution of India Art. 22(2); IPC 223
**Officers (gated display forms):** Station House Officer, Manali Police Station; Assistant Sub-Inspector (Additional SHO), Manali Police Station; Constable No. 145, Manali Police Station; Constable No. 1019, Manali Police Station; Constable No. 1037, Manali Police Station (5 in record)
**Victims:** Manali man, age 22 (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 1 lakh (Rs 1,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh (Division Bench) allowed the writ petition of the family of a Manali man (22), arrested on June 5, 1993 by Manali police in FIR No. 110 of 1993 and never produced before a Magistrate; his decomposed body was recovered from Pandoh Dam on June 26, 1993. The family alleged he was beaten to death on the night of June 5/6 and thrown in the Beas, while police claimed escape from custody and suicide. The Court held police failed to prove escape, violated Articles 22(2) and 21, and were negligent in their custodial duty, awarding Rs. 1,00,000 interim compensation (Rs. 25,000 to widow \[name withheld\], Rs. 15,000 to mother \[name withheld\], Rs. 60,000 in fixed deposit for three minor daughters), clarifying observations would not affect the pending criminal case No. 77-1/1994 (State v. \[name withheld\] under Section 223 IPC) against police officials. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> There can be no doubt whatever that the police officials were negligent and failed to perform their duties enjoined on them by law.

**Sources (2):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/63109/); [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/241010/pdf/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** custodial_death
**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'}
**anonymised:** False
**court quote para:** 26
**display title redacted:** Manali Man And Ors. vs State Of Himachal Pradesh And Ors
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-19', 'scope': 'Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass', 'method': 'skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl)', 'result': 'holds', 'corrections_applied': \['court_quote_para'\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '1997-03-18', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'High Court of Himachal Pradesh', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The High Court of Himachal Pradesh recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 100,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': '1998 ACJ 632', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/63109/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/241010/pdf/', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** custodial death
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** HP HC held Manali police negligent in custody of a Manali man (22), found Art. 22(2) violated, awarded Rs. 1 lakh interim compensation.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-1997-0004](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0004)