# Mahasamund Man vs State of Chhattisgarh

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0078](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0078)

## Report card

By judgment dated 19 August 2026 in WPCR No. 1 of 2025, the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur (Coram: \[name withheld\], \[name withheld\], JJ.) returned findings adverse to the Assistant Jail Superintendent, District Jail, Mahasamund, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh (Rs 7,50,000).

- Register number: CG 06 CW 0001
- Case reference: WPCR No. 1 of 2025 / CGHC010003352025
- Court and date: High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur (Coram: \[name withheld\], \[name withheld\], JJ.), 19 August 2026
- Officer(s) at the material time: Assistant Jail Superintendent, District Jail, Mahasamund
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Finding of the Court (extract): “Custodial violence, including torture and death in the lock ups, strikes a blow at the Rule of Law, which demands that the powers of the executive should not only be derived from law but also that the same should be …” (at para Order Sheet, page 2/3)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 7.5 lakh (Rs 7,50,000).
- Present status of the proceedings: The judgment is recent and may be subject to appeal; the pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/55575265/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0078)

**Record:** CW-2026-0078 (compiler id CWC-1356); case cop-ct-hc-0
**Title:** Mahasamund Man vs State of Chhattisgarh
**Court:** High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur; judges: \[name withheld\]; \[name withheld\]
**Case number / citation:** WPCR No. 1 of 2025 / CGHC010003352025
**Judgment:** 2026-08-19 (2026, day precision)
**Incident date:** Not stated
**Place:** Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh; police station or unit: District Jail, Mahasamund; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** Section 302 IPC
**Officers (gated display forms):** Assistant Jail Superintendent, District Jail, Mahasamund (1 in record)
**Victims:** Mahasamund man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 7.5 lakh (Rs 7,50,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The High Court took suo motu cognizance of a custodial death where an undertrial prisoner detained under Section 302 IPC died in District Jail, Mahasamund, with 35 injuries found on his body during postmortem. State counsel stated Rs 7,50,000 had already been paid on 20.09.2025 per Assistant Jail Superintendent letter dated 21.09.2025. The Court strongly criticized custodial violence as a blow to rule of law and directed the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to file personal affidavits explaining the circumstances, listing the case on 31.08.2026.

> Custodial violence, including torture and death in the lock ups, strikes a blow at the Rule of Law, which demands that the powers of the executive should not only be derived from law but also that the same should be limited by law. Custodial violence is a matter of concern. It is aggravated by the fact that it is committed by persons who are supposed to be the protectors of the citizens.

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/55575265/)
**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:** Order Sheet, page 2/3
**display title redacted:** Mahasamund Man vs State of Chhattisgarh
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-24', 'scope': 'Swarm scout and independent verification pass (Muse Spark).'}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2026-08-19', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur recorded adverse findings against police personnel.', 'disposition': 'adverse finding compensation', 'source': 'CGHC010003352025', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-24
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/55575265/', '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:** incident_date 2025-09-20 is the compensation payment date (paid on 20.09.2025 per letter dated 21.09.2025), not the custodial death date; death date not stated in order excerpt; sections includes Section 176 CrPC which does not appear in source excerpt; only Section 302 IPC verified; officers claims Jail Superintendent held_liable; source names only Assistant Jail Superintendent (re compensation letter) and directs Chief Secretary and DGP to file personal affidavits; no liability finding against a named officer yet, matter listed to 31.08.2026; outcome_type adverse_finding_compensation overstates: Rs 7,50,000 noted as already paid, not ordered as compensation by this order
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-2026-0078](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0078)