CW-1997-0015Rohtas, BiharJudgment 14 May 1997

Sasaram Man v. State of Bihar and Others

The Patna High Court allowed the widow's writ after undertrial a Sasaram man, aged 23, was shot dead by assailants while handcuffed in a police escort at the Sasaram court premises on 14 October 1996. The court held the State and its instrumentalities responsible for the negligent failure to protect a prisoner in police custody, following Rudul Sah and Nilabati Behera. It directed the State to deposit Rs 1 lakh with the Registrar General within six weeks, Rs 50,000 payable to the widow and Rs 50,000 held in fixed deposit until her minor daughter attains majority. The killers were private accused (Sasaram Town P.S. Case No. 558/96); the police liability was custodial failure to protect. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

Externally reportedV2
What this record means

This page documents a court-adjudicated case from the judgment and cited sources below. Findings are attributed to the court; this record does not add findings of its own.

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Report card

By judgment dated 14 May 1997 in Cr.W.J.C. No. 859 of 1996, the Patna High Court (Coram: Choudhary S.N. Mishra, J.) returned findings adverse to the accused police personnel, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 1 lakh (Rs 1,00,000).

Register number
BR 24 CW 0001
Case reference
Cr.W.J.C. No. 859 of 1996 / (1997) 2 BLJR 1477 : (1997) 1 PLJR 1022
Court and date
Patna High Court (Coram: Choudhary S.N. Mishra, J.), 14 May 1997
Officer(s) at the material time
Not identified in the cited sources (Sasaram jail escort party (Sasaram Town P.S. Case No. 558/96))
Present service status
Not ascertained from the cited sources.
Provisions invoked
Article 226 of the Constitution of India; Article 21 of the Constitution of India; Article 32 (discussed) of the Constitution of India; Section 302/307/324/34 + Arms Act s.27 (Sasaram Town P.S. Case No. 558/96 against private accused, as recorded) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
Finding of the Court (extract)
“The husband of the petitioner was killed under handcuffs while he was in police custody. In such situation the State has to answer for every unlawful and negligent act committed by its instrumentilities and the State and its instrumentalities are …” (at para 6)
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.

Compiled from the judgment and the cited sources. Findings are those of the court; this card adds none of its own.

The Patna High Court judgment dated 14 May 1997 is the concluded position shown in the cited sources.

Recorded allegations

1
Custodial deathPrimary
Material fact supported

Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.

Official finding: supports allegation.

What the court found

Holding not recorded separately.

“The husband of the petitioner was killed under handcuffs while he was in police custody. In such situation the State has to answer for every unlawful and negligent act committed by its instrumentilities and the State and its instrumentalities are …” (para 6)

Institutional response

1
14 May 1997

Order issued

Concluded
Patna High Court External · Binding

The Patna High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 100,000.

Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only).
Source: (1997) 2 BLJR 1477 : (1997) 1 PLJR 1022
Not yet re-checked.

Follow-up history

1
19 Sep 2026

(Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass; skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl))

Corrections (0): No corrections recorded.

Review: Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded.

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