# Bengaluru Woman vs The Chief Secretary, State of Karnataka & Ors.

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2000-0006](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2000-0006)

## Report card

By judgment dated 14 August 2000, the Karnataka High Court (Coram: V. Gopala Gowda, J.) returned findings adverse to 9 police personnel, namely: Circle Inspector of Police, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Sub-Inspector of Police (Crime), Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Head Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Assistant Sub-Inspector / Station House Officer, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police personnel, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000).

- Register number: KA 01 CW 0003
- Case reference: 2001 Cri LJ 238; ILR 2001 Kant 1626
- Court and date: Karnataka High Court (Coram: V. Gopala Gowda, J.), 14 August 2000
- Officer(s) at the material time: Circle Inspector of Police, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Sub-Inspector of Police (Crime), Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Head Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Assistant Sub-Inspector / Station House Officer, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police personnel, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Article 14 of the Constitution of India; Article 21 of the Constitution of India
- Finding of the Court (extract): “The State Government is further directed to recover the amount of compensation awarded in this case from all the accused police personnel who are responsible for the custodial death of the petitioner's husband after fixing their liability.” (at para operative direction (vi) (following para 37))
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000).
- 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/1930301/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2000-0006)

**Record:** CW-2000-0006 (compiler id CWC-0186); case SOUTH-007
**Title:** Bengaluru Woman vs The Chief Secretary, State of Karnataka & Ors.
**Court:** Karnataka High Court; judges: V. Gopala Gowda
**Case number / citation:** 2001 Cri LJ 238; ILR 2001 Kant 1626
**Judgment:** 2000-08-14 (2000, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1993-03-22 (1993)
**Place:** Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka; city town: Bengaluru; police station or unit: Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** Article 14; Article 21
**Officers (gated display forms):** Circle Inspector of Police, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Sub-Inspector of Police (Crime), Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Head Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police Constable, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Assistant Sub-Inspector / Station House Officer, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru; Police personnel, Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station, Bengaluru (9 in record)
**Victims:** Bengaluru man, age 27 (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The judgment of the Karnataka High Court records the following account. A Bengaluru man, a 27-year-old weaver, was picked up by Mahalakshmi Layout police in February–March 1993 and died in the police lock-up on the night of 22/23 March 1993; his widow alleged illegal detention, third-degree torture and extortion while police claimed suicide by hanging. On a private complaint the CoD investigated and charge-sheeted nine police personnel (C.C. No. 16457/1998), yet the State took no disciplinary action. The High Court held the death occurred in police custody after inhuman treatment in violation of Articles 14 and 21, awarded Rs 5,00,000 compensation (including Rs 1 lakh interim relief) to the widow and minor son, directed immediate disciplinary proceedings against all nine accused personnel, and ordered recovery of the compensation from those found responsible. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> The State Government is further directed to recover the amount of compensation awarded in this case from all the accused police personnel who are responsible for the custodial death of the petitioner's husband after fixing their liability.

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1930301/)
**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:** operative direction (vi) (following para 37)
**display title redacted:** Bengaluru Woman vs The Chief Secretary, State of Karnataka & 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': 'wrong_facts', 'corrections_applied': \['court_quote', 'court_quote_para'\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2000-08-14', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Karnataka High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Karnataka High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 500,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': '2001 Cri LJ 238; ILR 2001 Kant 1626', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1930301/', '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:** High Court held a Bengaluru man died in police custody after inhuman treatment and awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation with disciplinary proceedings and recovery from the nine accused personnel.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

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