# Sasaram Man v. State of Bihar and Others

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0015](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0015)

## 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.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/741060/ajmeri-khatoon-appellant-hash-state-of-bihar-and-others-respondent/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0015)

**Record:** CW-1997-0015 (compiler id CWC-0969); case GAP3-100-002
**Title:** Sasaram Man v. State of Bihar and Others
**Court:** Patna High Court; judges: Choudhary S.N. Mishra
**Case number / citation:** Cr.W.J.C. No. 859 of 1996 / (1997) 2 BLJR 1477 : (1997) 1 PLJR 1022
**Judgment:** 1997-05-14 (1997, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1996-10-14 (1996)
**Place:** Rohtas, Bihar; city town: Sasaram; police station or unit: Sasaram jail escort party (Sasaram Town P.S. Case No. 558/96); force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** Constitution Art. 226; Constitution Art. 21; Constitution Art. 32 (discussed); IPC 302/307/324/34 + Arms Act s.27 (Sasaram Town P.S. Case No. 558/96 against private accused, as recorded)
**Officers (gated display forms):** None named
**Victims:** Sasaram man, age 23 (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 1 lakh (Rs 1,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

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.

> 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 to be held responsible for such act on their part.

**Sources (2):** [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/741060/ajmeri-khatoon-appellant-hash-state-of-bihar-and-others-respondent/); [legalindia.com](https://www.legalindia.com/judgments/ajmeri-khatoon-vs-state-of-bihar-and-ors-on-14-may-1997)
**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:** 6
**display title redacted:** Sasaram Man v. State of Bihar and Others
**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': \['officers'\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '1997-05-14', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Patna High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Patna High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 100,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': '(1997) 2 BLJR 1477 : (1997) 1 PLJR 1022', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/741060/ajmeri-khatoon-appellant-hash-state-of-bihar-and-others-respondent/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.legalindia.com/judgments/ajmeri-khatoon-vs-state-of-bihar-and-ors-on-14-may-1997', '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:** Writ allowed; Rs 1 lakh compensation for failure to protect handcuffed undertrial killed in police custody.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-1997-0015](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1997-0015)