Rs one lakh paid as compensation for custodial death

Chandigarh, July 5 (UNI) The Punjab government has given an interim compensation of Rs one lakh to the kin of a man who died in police custody due to poisoning two years ago.

The interim monetary relief was granted to the bereaved family of the victim, Jaswant Singh of Jodhewal in Ludhiana district, an undertrial prisoner who died reportedly due to consumption of poison in the Ludhiana Civil hospital on February 20, 2004.

The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) had directed the state on March 23 last to pay the compensation to the kin of the victim after a magesterial inquiry and the completion of the hearing of the case in two years.

The PSHRC had also asked the state government to fix the responsibility of the officials responsible in the matter of ''not preventing someone else from poisoning the victim during the custody''.

''The amount of interim compensation be recovered from the delinquent official or officials,'' the Commission had added in its directive, citing a Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement in the Priti Thapar, 2004(3) RCR (Criminal) 495 case.

UNI PS JN VD GC1739