# Salem Man, \[name withheld\] and \[name withheld\] v. National Human Rights Commission and State of Tamil Nadu

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2010-0020](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2010-0020)

## Report card

By judgment dated 5 January 2010 in W.P. Nos. 27281 to 27283 of 2009, the Madras High Court (Coram: K. Chandru, J.) upheld the disciplinary action taken against 3 police personnel, namely: Head Constable, Control Room; Grade-I Police Constable, Central Crime Branch; Grade-I Police Constable, Fainance Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 50,000.

- Register number: TN 27 CW 0004
- Case reference: W.P. Nos. 27281 to 27283 of 2009 / (2010) 01 MAD CK 0048
- Court and date: Madras High Court (Coram: K. Chandru, J.), 5 January 2010
- Officer(s) at the material time: Head Constable, Control Room; Grade-I Police Constable, Central Crime Branch; Grade-I Police Constable, Fainance Police Station
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Article 21 of the Constitution of India; Article 226 of the Constitution of India; Section 18(3) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
- Finding of the Court (extract): “Therefore, there is no difficulty for the respondents in ordering recovery, since payment of interim compensation was a loss to the State. Such a pecuniary loss can always be directed to be recovered from the persons, who are responsible.” (at para 13)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Disciplinary action upheld. Sentence: imprisonment and fine. Compensation: Rs 50,000.
- 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/29077/a-sundaram-n-sidhan-and-p-jayavel-appellant-hash-national-human-rights-commission-and-state-of-t/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2010-0020)

**Record:** CW-2010-0020 (compiler id CWC-0834); case GAP2-38-007
**Title:** Salem Man, \[name withheld\] and \[name withheld\] v. National Human Rights Commission and State of Tamil Nadu
**Court:** Madras High Court; judges: K. Chandru
**Case number / citation:** W.P. Nos. 27281 to 27283 of 2009 / (2010) 01 MAD CK 0048
**Judgment:** 2010-01-05 (2010, day precision)
**Incident date:** 2000-12-24 (2000)
**Place:** Salem, Tamil Nadu; city town: Salem; police station or unit: Strong-room guard, Mohan Kumaramangalam Government Medical College Hospital; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Disciplinary action upheld (disciplinary_upheld)
**Sections:** Constitution Art 21; Constitution Art 226; Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 s.18(3)
**Officers (gated display forms):** Head Constable, Control Room; Grade-I Police Constable, Central Crime Branch; Grade-I Police Constable, Fainance Police Station (3 in record)
**Victims:** Salem man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** mixed; Rs 50,000
**Sentence type:** mixed (mixed)

The judgment of the Madras High Court records the following account. Remand prisoner a Salem man hanged himself on 24 December 2000 in the strong room of Mohan Kumaramangalam Government Medical College Hospital, Salem, while the three petitioner-policemen were in charge of the guard. The RDO enquiry under PSO 145 and the NHRC found the death in judicial custody was due to the negligence of the strong-room police personnel, and the State paid Rs.50,000 interim compensation to the next of kin. The State ordered recovery of the amount from the three policemen in instalments along with a departmental warning. The court dismissed their writ petitions, holding the States pecuniary loss recoverable from those responsible, with liberty to seek refund if the pending NHRC proceedings exonerate them.

> Therefore, there is no difficulty for the respondents in ordering recovery, since payment of interim compensation was a loss to the State. Such a pecuniary loss can always be directed to be recovered from the persons, who are responsible.

**Sources (2):** [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/29077/a-sundaram-n-sidhan-and-p-jayavel-appellant-hash-national-human-rights-commission-and-state-of-t/); [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/29077/pdf/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** misconduct
**admin subcategory:** custodial_death
**allegations:** {'category': 'Other', '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:** 13
**display title redacted:** Salem Man, \[name withheld\] and \[name withheld\] v. National Human Rights Commission and State of Tamil Nadu
**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': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2010-01-05', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Madras High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Madras High Court upheld service punishment imposed on police personnel.', 'disposition': 'Disciplinary action · Procedural only', 'source': '(2010) 01 MAD CK 0048', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/29077/a-sundaram-n-sidhan-and-p-jayavel-appellant-hash-national-human-rights-commission-and-state-of-t/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/29077/pdf/', '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:** Madras HC (K. Chandru, J.) dismissed W.P. 27281-27283/2009: recovery of Rs.50,000 compensation from salaries of 3 negligent policemen upheld.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Disciplinary action upheld.

[Open CW-2010-0020](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2010-0020)