# Thanjavur Man v. State of Tamil Nadu and Others

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0043](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0043)

## Report card

By judgment dated 26 June 2023 in W.P. No.33577 of 2005, the Madras High Court (Coram: Anita Sumanth, J.) returned findings adverse to 5 police personnel, namely: Inspector of Police, Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; Inspector of Police, Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; Inspector of Police, Kallaperambur Police Station, Thanjavur District; Sub-Inspector of Police, Thanjavur Police; Police Constable, Thanjavur Police, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 10,00,000).

- Register number: TN 49 CW 0009
- Case reference: W.P. No.33577 of 2005 / 2023:MHC:3480
- Court and date: Madras High Court (Coram: Anita Sumanth, J.), 26 June 2023
- Officer(s) at the material time: Inspector of Police, Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; Inspector of Police, Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; Inspector of Police, Kallaperambur Police Station, Thanjavur District; Sub-Inspector of Police, Thanjavur Police; Police Constable, Thanjavur Police
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973; Article 226 of the Constitution of India
- Finding of the Court (extract): “It is all too apparent that the attempt of the authorities was to disrupt the integrity of the body and ensure its decomposition so that all evidence of violence would stand effaced / erased. This is a calculated attempt of …” (at para 30)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 10 lakh (Rs 10,00,000).
- 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/43635433/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0043)

**Record:** CW-2023-0043 (compiler id CWC-1298); case GAP3-89-003
**Title:** Thanjavur Man v. State of Tamil Nadu and Others
**Court:** Madras High Court; judges: Anita Sumanth
**Case number / citation:** W.P. No.33577 of 2005 / 2023:MHC:3480
**Judgment:** 2023-06-26 (2023, day precision)
**Incident date:** 2002-07-27 (2002)
**Place:** Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu; city town: Thanjavur; police station or unit: Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** IPC 379; CrPC 176; Constitution Art.226
**Officers (gated display forms):** Inspector of Police, Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; Inspector of Police, Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur; Inspector of Police, Kallaperambur Police Station, Thanjavur District; Sub-Inspector of Police, Thanjavur Police; Police Constable, Thanjavur Police (5 in record)
**Victims:** Thanjavur man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 10 lakh (Rs 10,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The judgment of the Madras High Court records the following account. A Thanjavur man @ a Thanjavur man was picked up around 27.07.2002 for enquiry into electricity-wire theft, beaten with lathis in the station in his wife's presence, formally arrested on 01.08.2002, remanded, and died in custody on 07.08.2002. Though death occurred on 07.08.2002, the body was retained 48 hours and post-mortem conducted only on 09.08.2002, with the requisition itself dated 09.08.2002. On 26.06.2023 the Madras High Court held the authorities let the body decompose so all evidence of violence would stand effaced, calling it a calculated attempt of the police authorities. The Court allowed the writ petition and directed Rs.10,00,000 compensation for custodial torture and demise in police custody within four weeks. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> It is all too apparent that the attempt of the authorities was to disrupt the integrity of the body and ensure its decomposition so that all evidence of violence would stand effaced / erased. This is a calculated attempt of the police authorities.

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/43635433/)
**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:** 30
**display title redacted:** Thanjavur Man v. 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': 'wrong_facts', 'corrections_applied': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2023-06-26', '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 1,000,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': '2023:MHC:3480', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/43635433/', '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 police let body decompose to efface evidence of violence; Rs.10 lakh compensation for custodial torture and death.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-2023-0043](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2023-0043)