CW-1998-0004South West Delhi, DelhiJudgment 18 August 1998

Geeta and Anr. vs Lt. Governor and Ors.

The Delhi High Court awarded Rs 5,50,000 to the widow and mother of 22-year-old a Sarojini Nagar man, who was tortured to death in Sarojini Nagar police custody. A Sarojini Nagar man, against whom there was no allegation of any criminal activity, was picked up on 29 August 1996 after his brother [name withheld] escaped from a police party; his body, bearing 51 injuries, was brought to Safdarjung Hospital the next day. The State admitted the custodial death and injuries, and an SDM Hauz Khas enquiry prima facie held eight policemen (respondents 3 to 10, arrested and challaned under Section 304 IPC) responsible. The Court deplored the continued preference for torture over scientific investigation and left the State free to recover the award from those found responsible. 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 18 August 1998, the Delhi High Court (Coram: Anil Dev Singh, J.) returned findings adverse to the Police personnel, P.S. Sarojini Nagar, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 5.5 lakh (Rs 5,50,000).

Register number
DL 09 CW 0001
Case reference
2000 ACJ 109; 75 (1998) DLT 822
Court and date
Delhi High Court (Coram: Anil Dev Singh, J.), 18 August 1998
Officer(s) at the material time
Police personnel, P.S. Sarojini Nagar
Present service status
Not ascertained from the cited sources.
Provisions invoked
Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Article 21 of the Constitution of India
Finding of the Court (extract)
“It is not the case of the respondents that when he was arrested he was having injuries on his person. No explanation has been rendered for fifty one injuries which were found on his person as a result of which …” (at para 8)
Verdict, sentence and quantum
Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 5.5 lakh (Rs 5,50,000).
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 Delhi High Court judgment dated 18 August 1998 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.

“It is not the case of the respondents that when he was arrested he was having injuries on his person. No explanation has been rendered for fifty one injuries which were found on his person as a result of which …” (para 8)

Institutional response

1
18 Aug 1998

Order issued

Concluded
Delhi High Court External · Binding

The Delhi High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 550,000.

Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only).
Source: 2000 ACJ 109; 75 (1998) DLT 822
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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