The Madras High Court today ordered a compensation of Rs 50,000 as damages to a youth, who was arrested in the midnight and tortured by third-degree method by police last year.
Bharathi mother of the youth Arun in her petition said, some police officials took her son on 16th June last year from her house and kept in illegal confinement in three police stations in connection with an unsolved theft case.
She said her son told her when she went to the sub-jail at Saidapet near here that police tortured him by beating with lathis and iron rods.
When the matter was taken up by Justice K Chandru at the time of admission stage, he summoned police and jail authorities to present the victim before him and ordered for medical treatment. He also directed the Principal District Judge of Tiruvallur district to inquire into the allegations and file a report.
The medical report as well as the report of the District Judge confirmed the torture by the police.
When the case came up for final hearing before Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, the Public Prosecutor said the injuries on the body of the victim were already there prior to the arrest and the victim has not reported the matter at the time of his remand before the Magistrate.
The Judge rejected the arugment and said Arun was subjected to torture when he was in police custody. "It is beyond doubt that once human rights violation are established to a person, who is in police custody, the victim is entitled for compensation as a matter of right" and directed the Home Secretary to fix liability on the officers who were on duty at the time of custody and recover the amount of compensation from them.
