# The State of Tamil Nadu and Ors. vs Pulliammal

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2007-0018](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2007-0018)

## Report card

By judgment dated 20 December 2007 in W.A. No. 1328 of 2001, the Madras High Court (Coram: D. Murugesan, J., P.R. Shivakumar, J., JJ.) returned findings adverse to the Sub-Inspector of Police, Periyakulam Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 2 lakh (Rs 2,00,000).

- Register number: TN 60 CW 0002
- Case reference: W.A. No. 1328 of 2001
- Court and date: Madras High Court (Coram: D. Murugesan, J., P.R. Shivakumar, J., JJ.), 20 December 2007
- Officer(s) at the material time: Sub-Inspector of Police, Periyakulam Police Station
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Article 226 of the Constitution of India
- Finding of the Court (extract): “Therefore, the finding of the learned Single Judge regarding the fixation of liability to pay compensation for the death of Pancharaju due to custodial violence cannot be interfered with.” (at para 17)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 2 lakh (Rs 2,00,000).
- 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/273288/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2007-0018)

**Record:** CW-2007-0018 (compiler id CWC-0377); case TAMILN-013
**Title:** The State of Tamil Nadu and Ors. vs Pulliammal
**Court:** Madras High Court; judges: D. Murugesan, J.; P.R. Shivakumar, J.
**Case number / citation:** W.A. No. 1328 of 2001
**Judgment:** 2007-12-20 (2007, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1996-11-02 (1996)
**Place:** Theni, Tamil Nadu; city town: Periyakulam; police station or unit: Periyakulam Police Station; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** Constitution of India Article 226
**Officers (gated display forms):** Sub-Inspector of Police, Periyakulam Police Station (1 in record)
**Victims:** Periyakulam man, age 44 (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 2 lakh (Rs 2,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

A Division Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed the State's appeal against the single Judge's order dated 08.12.2000 in W.P. No. 11231 of 1997 and confirmed Rs 2 lakh compensation for the death of Pancharaju due to custodial violence. The Court recorded that Pancharaju, aged about 44, was arrested on 09.10.1996 by Periyakulam police in a prohibition case (Cr. No. 547 of 1996), was severely beaten by police, and died on 02.11.1996 after remand and hospitalisation. Rejecting the State's natural-cause defence based on the RDO enquiry, the Court upheld the finding of custodial violence and held Rs 2 lakh reasonable for the coolie's widow and three minor children, with the balance over the Rs 1 lakh already deposited payable within one month. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> Therefore, the finding of the learned Single Judge regarding the fixation of liability to pay compensation for the death of Pancharaju due to custodial violence cannot be interfered with.

**Sources (2):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/273288/); [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/34614/the-state-of-tamil-nadu-vs-pulliammal/)
**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:** 17
**display title redacted:** The State of Tamil Nadu and Ors. vs Pulliammal
**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': '2007-12-20', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Madras High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Madras High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 200,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': 'W.A. No. 1328 of 2001', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/273288/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/34614/the-state-of-tamil-nadu-vs-pulliammal/', '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:** Division Bench dismissed State appeal and confirmed Rs 2 lakh compensation for Pancharaju's death due to custodial violence at Periyakulam.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

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