By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Punjab government to pay the family of an undertrial Rs.100,000 for his death while in police custody.
An official of the commission said that undertrial Amarjit Singh was sent to the court February 22, 2004 for hearing of his case.
After that he returned to the jail, and after having dinner he felt unwell and died on way to the hospital.
“While the post mortem report could not ascertain the cause of Amarjit Singh’s death, his viscera report indicated that he had consumed insecticide either in the judicial lock up or on his way back from the court. Either ways, he consumed the insecticide while in custody,” an NHRC official said.
Since his death could have been averted had the ward staff not been negligent, the commission therefore said that the state cannot evade its liability to compensate the family of the victim.
It has thus recommended that the Punjab government pay Rs.100,000 as monetary relief to the family of the deceased.