# Dharapuram Man vs State of Tamil Nadu and Others

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2022-0035](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2022-0035)

## Report card

By judgment dated 29 November 2022 in W.P. Nos. 22431 and 22527 of 2021, the Madras High Court (Coram: R. Subramanian, K. Kumaresh Babu, JJ.) returned findings adverse to the Sub-Inspector of Police, Dharapuram Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000).

- Register number: TN 39 CW 0004
- Case reference: W.P. Nos. 22431 and 22527 of 2021 / 2022 LiveLaw (Mad) 490
- Court and date: Madras High Court (Coram: R. Subramanian, K. Kumaresh Babu, JJ.), 29 November 2022
- Officer(s) at the material time: Sub-Inspector of Police, Dharapuram Police Station
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 294(b) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 506(ii) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “The very casual manner in which the officer replied to our query, as to whether, he had read the judgment in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar and another shocks us. Such replies will reflect upon the entire Police Force.” (at para 37)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000).
- 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://livelaw-hpnlu.refread.com/pdf_upload/490-l-muruganandam-v-state-29-nov-2022-448050.pdf); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2022-0035)

**Record:** CW-2022-0035 (compiler id CWC-0855); case GAP2-40-005
**Title:** Dharapuram Man vs State of Tamil Nadu and Others
**Court:** Madras High Court; judges: R. Subramanian; K. Kumaresh Babu
**Case number / citation:** W.P. Nos. 22431 and 22527 of 2021 / 2022 LiveLaw (Mad) 490
**Judgment:** 2022-11-29 (2022, day precision)
**Incident date:** 2020-02-29 (2020)
**Place:** Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu; city town: Dharapuram; police station or unit: Dharapuram Police Station; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial torture
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** IPC 294(b); IPC 323; IPC 506(ii)
**Officers (gated display forms):** Sub-Inspector of Police, Dharapuram Police Station (1 in record)
**Victims:** Dharapuram man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The Madras High Court partly allowed the writ petition of a Dharapuram man, an advocate with 80% locomotor disability, and dismissed the erring Sub-Inspector's challenge. The court found his arrest on 29.02.2020 by the Dharapuram police violated the D.K. Basu and Arnesh Kumar guidelines and that he was slapped and harassed in custody. It held the SHRC's Rs 1 lakh award wholly insufficient and enhanced compensation to Rs 5 lakh, with Rs 4 lakh borne by the State and Rs 1 lakh recoverable from the officer. It retained the direction to take disciplinary action against the Sub-Inspector and awarded Rs 25,000 costs; the Supreme Court affirmed on 15.07.2025. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> The very casual manner in which the officer replied to our query, as to whether, he had read the judgment in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar and another shocks us. Such replies will reflect upon the entire Police Force.

**Sources (3):** [livelaw-hpnlu.refread.com](https://livelaw-hpnlu.refread.com/pdf_upload/490-l-muruganandam-v-state-29-nov-2022-448050.pdf); [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/1219499/l-muruganantham-vs-state-of-tamil-nadu-others/); [advocatekhoj.com](https://www.advocatekhoj.com/library/judgments/index.php?go=2025/july/l-muruganantham-vs-state-of-tamil-nadu-36)
**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:** 37
**display title redacted:** Dharapuram Man vs State of Tamil Nadu 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': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2022-11-29', '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 500,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': '2022 LiveLaw (Mad) 490', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://livelaw-hpnlu.refread.com/pdf_upload/490-l-muruganandam-v-state-29-nov-2022-448050.pdf', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/1219499/l-muruganantham-vs-state-of-tamil-nadu-others/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.advocatekhoj.com/library/judgments/index.php?go=2025/july/l-muruganantham-vs-state-of-tamil-nadu-36', '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:** Primary PDF verified: Rs 5L compensation (Rs 4L State + Rs 1L recovery from SI), officer's writ dismissed.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-2022-0035](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2022-0035)