# Kot Bhai Woman and Another vs State of Punjab and Others

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2019-0012](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2019-0012)

## Report card

By judgment dated 3 May 2019 in CWP No. 4222 of 2015 (O&M), the Punjab and Haryana High Court (Coram: Arun Monga, J.) returned findings adverse to 4 police personnel, namely: Inspector (SHO), Police Station Kot Bhai; Assistant Sub-Inspector, Police Station Kot Bhai; Head Constable, Police Station Kot Bhai; Head Constable, Police Station Kot Bhai, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 16.4 lakh (Rs 16,42,800).

- Register number: PB 30 CW 0001
- Case reference: CWP No. 4222 of 2015 (O&M) / AIR 2019 (NOC) 730 (P&H)
- Court and date: Punjab and Haryana High Court (Coram: Arun Monga, J.), 3 May 2019
- Officer(s) at the material time: Inspector (SHO), Police Station Kot Bhai; Assistant Sub-Inspector, Police Station Kot Bhai; Head Constable, Police Station Kot Bhai; Head Constable, Police Station Kot Bhai
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 304-A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “Net result is that a Kot Bhai woman committed suicide while in police custody owing to the negligence of State Police.” (at para 4)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 16.4 lakh (Rs 16,42,800).
- 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/191104770/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2019-0012)

**Record:** CW-2019-0012 (compiler id CWC-0717); case GAP8-003
**Title:** Kot Bhai Woman and Another vs State of Punjab and Others
**Court:** Punjab and Haryana High Court; judges: Arun Monga
**Case number / citation:** CWP No. 4222 of 2015 (O&M) / AIR 2019 (NOC) 730 (P&H)
**Judgment:** 2019-05-03 (2019, day precision)
**Incident date:** 2012-09-30 (2012)
**Place:** Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab; city town: Kot Bhai; police station or unit: Police Station Kot Bhai; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** IPC 306; IPC 304-A
**Officers (gated display forms):** Inspector (SHO), Police Station Kot Bhai; Assistant Sub-Inspector, Police Station Kot Bhai; Head Constable, Police Station Kot Bhai; Head Constable, Police Station Kot Bhai (4 in record)
**Victims:** Kot Bhai woman (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 16.4 lakh (Rs 16,42,800)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court records the following account. A Kot Bhai woman was arrested on 29 September 2012 in an abetment-of-suicide case and lodged in the lock-up at Police Station Kot Bhai. On 30 September 2012 she collapsed after using the bathroom and died at Civil Hospital, Gidderbaha; the State called it suicide, not custodial death. A Section 176 CrPC judicial inquiry and the SP's report found negligence by police personnel, and FIR No.82 under Section 304-A IPC was registered against four policemen. The High Court held it was conceded that she died in police custody due to officials' negligence and allowed the writ, directing the State to disburse Rs.16,42,800 (less Rs.3 lakh interim already paid) with 15% penal interest on delay, apportioned between her parents and two minor children. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> Net result is that a Kot Bhai woman committed suicide while in police custody owing to the negligence of State Police.

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/191104770/)
**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:** 4
**display title redacted:** Kot Bhai Woman and Another vs State of Punjab 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': 'holds', 'corrections_applied': \['court_quote_para'\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2019-05-03', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Punjab and Haryana High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Punjab and Haryana High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 1,642,800.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': 'AIR 2019 (NOC) 730 (P&H)', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/191104770/', '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:** HC held custodial death by police negligence; Rs.16,42,800 compensation ordered.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-2019-0012](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2019-0012)