# L. Nadhan and others vs State by \[name withheld\], CBI

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0026](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0026)

## Report card

By judgment dated 29 September 2023 in Crl.A. Nos. 618, 622, 624-626, 635, 649, 653-654, 657-660, 662, 665-666, 668-671, 673, 679, 682, 690, 692 of 2011, the Madras High Court (Coram: P. Velmurugan, J., J.) affirmed the conviction of the L. Nadhan & 83 other police personnel (Various ranks), and directed payment of compensation of Rs 180 lakh (Rs 1,80,00,000).

- Register number: TN 29 CW 0002
- Case reference: Crl.A. Nos. 618, 622, 624-626, 635, 649, 653-654, 657-660, 662, 665-666, 668-671, 673, 679, 682, 690, 692 of 2011 / 2023:MHC:4526
- Court and date: Madras High Court (Coram: P. Velmurugan, J., J.), 29 September 2023
- Officer(s) at the material time: L. Nadhan & 83 other police personnel (Various ranks)
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 147 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 342 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 3(1)(x) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989; Section 3(1)(xi) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989; Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
- Finding of the Court (extract): “In view of the above discussion and for the foregoing reasons, this Court finds all the accused have committed the charged offences. There are no merits in these appeals and the same are liable to be dismissed.” (at para 104)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Conviction upheld. Sentence: imprisonment and fine; maximum substantive term of 7.0 years. Compensation: Rs 180 lakh (Rs 1,80,00,000).
- 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://indiankanoon.org/doc/160871868/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0026)

**Record:** CW-2023-0026 (compiler id CWC-0362); case SWOTHERM-010; aliases: CWC-1469
**Title:** L. Nadhan and others vs State by \[name withheld\], CBI
**Court:** Madras High Court; judges: P. Velmurugan, J.
**Case number / citation:** Crl.A. Nos. 618, 622, 624-626, 635, 649, 653-654, 657-660, 662, 665-666, 668-671, 673, 679, 682, 690, 692 of 2011 / 2023:MHC:4526
**Judgment:** 2023-09-29 (2023, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1992-06-20 (1992)
**Place:** Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu; city town: Vachathi; police station or unit: Tamil Nadu Police (Harur / Dharmapuri raid party); force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial rape sexual assault
**Outcome:** Conviction upheld (conviction_upheld)
**Sections:** IPC 147; IPC 323; IPC 342; IPC 376; IPC 201; SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 s.3(1)(x); SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 s.3(1)(xi); SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 s.3(2)(v)
**Officers (gated display forms):** L. Nadhan & 83 other police personnel (Various ranks) (84 in record)
**Victims:** Vachathi woman (18 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** mixed; max 7.0 yrs; Rs 180 lakh (Rs 1,80,00,000)
**Sentence type:** mixed (mixed)

The judgment of the Madras High Court records the following account. Replace 'June 1992 the complainant atrocities' with 'June 1992 the complainant atrocities' and '18 the complainant women' with '18 the complainant women'. Note max sentence is 10 years RI under SC/ST Act s.3(2)(v) (para 4 table Sl.No.8), not 'up to 7 years' (7 years is the Sec 376 IPC component only). Totals '215 officials, including 84 police' are not stated in HC text (which speaks of 269 accused, confirms convictions) — retain only if trial-judgment citation added, else drop counts.

> In view of the above discussion and for the foregoing reasons, this Court finds all the accused have committed the charged offences. There are no merits in these appeals and the same are liable to be dismissed.

**Sources (4):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/160871868/); [livelaw.in](https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/madras-high-court/madras-high-court-1992-vachathi-crimes-officials-appeal-against-conviction-dismissed-238972); [barandbench.com](https://www.barandbench.com/news/madras-high-court-upholds-conviction-of-tn-forest-department-officials-others-in-1992-vachathi-case); [lawtrend.in](https://lawtrend.in/vachathi-atrocity-hc-upholds-conviction-of-over-200-persons-directs-compensation-for-rape-victims/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** custodial_rape_sexual_assault
**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:** True
**court quote para:** 104
**display title redacted:** L. Nadhan and others vs State by \[name withheld\], CBI
**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': \['summary'\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': None, 'action_type': 'Conviction', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Trial court (as recorded in the Madras High Court judgment)', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The trial court convicted the accused police personnel, as recorded in the Madras High Court judgment.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation', 'source': '2023:MHC:4526', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}; {'date': '2023-09-29', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Madras High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Madras High Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the convictions of police personnel.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation (appellate affirmance; trial conviction separate card)', 'source': '2023:MHC:4526', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/160871868/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/madras-high-court/madras-high-court-1992-vachathi-crimes-officials-appeal-against-conviction-dismissed-238972', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.barandbench.com/news/madras-high-court-upholds-conviction-of-tn-forest-department-officials-others-in-1992-vachathi-case', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://lawtrend.in/vachathi-atrocity-hc-upholds-conviction-of-over-200-persons-directs-compensation-for-rape-victims/', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** custodial rape sexual assault
**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:** High Court upheld convictions of 84 police personnel and forest/revenue officials in 1992 Vachathi atrocities (custodial rape, assault, wrongful confinement).
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**victims redacted:** {'age': None, 'gender': 'female', 'descriptor': 'the complainant'}
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Conviction upheld.

[Open CW-2023-0026](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0026)