# Ezhukone Man vs Ezhukone Man

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2021-0006](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2021-0006)

## Report card

By judgment dated 23 June 2021 in Crl.R.P. Nos. 519 & 520 of 2013, the Kerala High Court (Coram: Mary Joseph, J.) affirmed the conviction of 4 police personnel, namely: D. Rajagopal (Sub-Inspector (at time of offence)); Police Constable (No.4690), Ezhukone Police Station; Baby (Police Constable (No.3817)); Sharafudeen (Police Constable), and directed payment of compensation of Rs 10,000.

- Register number: KL 02 CW 0013
- Case reference: Crl.R.P. Nos. 519 & 520 of 2013
- Court and date: Kerala High Court (Coram: Mary Joseph, J.), 23 June 2021
- Officer(s) at the material time: D. Rajagopal (Sub-Inspector (at time of offence)); Police Constable (No.4690), Ezhukone Police Station; Baby (Police Constable (No.3817)); Sharafudeen (Police Constable)
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 324 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “In the light of the foregoing discussions, this Court has no hesitation to hold that the trial court and the appellate court are not in error and are perfectly justified in finding accused Nos.1 and 3 to 5 guilty for …” (at para 47)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Conviction upheld. Sentence: imprisonment and fine; maximum substantive term of 1 year. Compensation: Rs 10,000.
- 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/125749818/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2021-0006)

**Record:** CW-2021-0006 (compiler id CWC-0207); case KERALA-007
**Title:** Ezhukone Man vs Ezhukone Man
**Court:** Kerala High Court; judges: Mary Joseph
**Case number / citation:** Crl.R.P. Nos. 519 & 520 of 2013
**Judgment:** 2021-06-23 (2021, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1996-02-08 (1996)
**Place:** Kollam, Kerala; city town: Ezhukone; police station or unit: Ezhukone Police Station; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial torture
**Outcome:** Conviction upheld (conviction_upheld)
**Sections:** IPC 323; IPC 324; IPC 34
**Officers (gated display forms):** D. Rajagopal (Sub-Inspector (at time of offence)); Police Constable (No.4690), Ezhukone Police Station; Baby (Police Constable (No.3817)); Sharafudeen (Police Constable) (4 in record)
**Victims:** Ezhukone man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** mixed; max 1 yrs; Rs 10,000
**Sentence type:** mixed (mixed)

Complainant \[name withheld\] was picked up and held overnight in the Ezhukone police lock-up on 8-9 February 1996, where he was beaten and burnt on the tongue with a cigarette so that he could not complain to the Magistrate; the trial court and appellate court concurrently convicted the SI and three constables under Sections 323 and 324 read with Section 34 IPC. The Kerala High Court rejected the Section 197 CrPC sanction defence, holding custodial torture is not an act done in the discharge of official duty. The court dismissed both criminal revision petitions, confirming one year simple imprisonment with Rs 2,500 fine each under Section 324 and Rs 1,000 fine each under Section 323, with Rs 10,000 of the fine payable to the complainant as Section 357(1) CrPC compensation. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> In the light of the foregoing discussions, this Court has no hesitation to hold that the trial court and the appellate court are not in error and are perfectly justified in finding accused Nos.1 and 3 to 5 guilty for the offences under Sections 323 and 324 read with Section 34 IPC, convicting them and imposing punishments on them for those by the impugned judgment.

**Sources (2):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/125749818/); [livelaw.in](https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/kerala-high-court-section-197-crpc-sanction-not-required-to-prosecute-policemen-for-their-illegal-acts-183571)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** custodial_torture
**allegations:** {'category': 'Custodial torture', '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:** 47
**display title redacted:** Ezhukone Man vs Ezhukone Man
**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': None, 'action_type': 'Conviction', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Trial court (as recorded in the Kerala High Court judgment)', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The trial court convicted the accused police personnel, as recorded in the Kerala High Court judgment.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation', 'source': 'Crl.R.P. Nos. 519 & 520 of 2013', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}; {'date': '2021-06-23', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Kerala High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Kerala High Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the convictions of police personnel.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation (appellate affirmance; trial conviction separate card)', 'source': 'Crl.R.P. Nos. 519 & 520 of 2013', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/125749818/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/kerala-high-court-section-197-crpc-sanction-not-required-to-prosecute-policemen-for-their-illegal-acts-183571', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** custodial torture
**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:** Kerala HC single judge dismissed revisions of an SI and three Ezhukone constables, upholding 1-year SI convictions under ss.323/324/34 IPC for 1996 custodial torture.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Conviction upheld.

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