# Theni Man v. The Government of Tamilnadu and Others

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2017-0010](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2017-0010)

## Report card

By judgment dated 15 September 2017 in W.P. No. 21312 of 2004, the Madras High Court (Coram: S. Vaidyanathan, J.) returned findings adverse to 2 police personnel, namely: Pandiaraj (Inspector of Police); Sub-Inspector of Police, Narcotics Intelligence Bureau, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 10.5 lakh (Rs 10,50,000).

- Register number: TN 60 CW 0003
- Case reference: W.P. No. 21312 of 2004
- Court and date: Madras High Court (Coram: S. Vaidyanathan, J.), 15 September 2017
- Officer(s) at the material time: Pandiaraj (Inspector of Police); Sub-Inspector of Police, Narcotics Intelligence Bureau
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 330 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “There are categorical findings based on the evidence that had been discussed indicating that the said Pandiaraj, Inspector of Police, who led the team, was directly responsible for the death of a Theni man” (at para 11)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 10.5 lakh (Rs 10,50,000).
- 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://indiankanoon.org/doc/165910510/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2017-0010)

**Record:** CW-2017-0010 (compiler id CWC-0471); case SOUTH-002
**Title:** Theni Man v. The Government of Tamilnadu and Others
**Court:** Madras High Court; judges: S. Vaidyanathan
**Case number / citation:** W.P. No. 21312 of 2004
**Judgment:** 2017-09-15 (2017, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1995-04-05 (1995)
**Place:** Theni, Tamil Nadu (district at time: Madurai); city town: Theni; police station or unit: Narcotics Intelligence Bureau office, Theni; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** IPC 330; IPC 302
**Officers (gated display forms):** Pandiaraj (Inspector of Police); Sub-Inspector of Police, Narcotics Intelligence Bureau (2 in record)
**Victims:** Theni man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 10.5 lakh (Rs 10,50,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The judgment of the Madras High Court records the following account. replace ' ' — paras 3-4 record the Government Advocate's counter (custodial-death denial, deceased a hard-core criminal, Crl.A.No.946/2003 acquittal bars relief); summarize it per R52. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> There are categorical findings based on the evidence that had been discussed indicating that the said Pandiaraj, Inspector of Police, who led the team, was directly responsible for the death of a Theni man

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/165910510/)
**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:** 11
**display title redacted:** Theni Man v. The Government of Tamilnadu 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': 'wrong_facts', 'corrections_applied': \['court_quote_para', 'summary'\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2017-09-15', '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 1,050,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': 'W.P. No. 21312 of 2004', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/165910510/', '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 awarded Rs 10.5L total for a Theni man's NIB custodial death; criminal acquittal held no bar.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-2017-0010](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2017-0010)