Widow of Tihar victim seeks Rs 20 lakh compensation

New Delhi, July 30 (UNI) Taking cognizance of a petition of the widow of a Tihar Jail victim seeking Rs 20 lakh as compensation for the death of her husband in custody, the Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Director General (prisons), the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner to file their replies within four weeks.

Justice Badr Durrez Ahmed heard the plea of Saroj Devi, the widow of one Vinod who had died in the jail last month when a series of deaths happened due to hot weather last month.

According to Sunil Kumar, the counsel for Ms Devi, Vinod was picked up by police on June 10 and he died on June 12.

The post-mortem report revealed the cause of the death as homicide (murder). There were about 15-16 injury marks on his body, both internal as well as external.

An FIR was lodged under section 302 (murder) at the Hari Nagar police station. The inquiry of the death is still pending at the district investgation cell.

The 21-year-old widow has sought a compensation of minimum of Rs 20 lakh and also a government job.

Advocte Kumar contended that under article 21 of the Constitution, it was the state's obligation to protect the life and liberty of its citizens. The death of Vinod was solely due to the negligence of Government machinery and a gross violation of the Human Rights of a person.

In June, eight inmates of the Tihar Jail had died within a span of as many days in a row. Though the reason attributed to the deaths by the Tihar officials was overcrowding and sudden hot weather, the court had ordered an inquiry into the matter.

UNI