NHRC to Chattisgarh: Pay Rs 5L in damages for custodial death

National Human Rights Commission today directed Chhattisgarh government to pay Rs five lakh as monetary relief to the kin of a suspected Naxalite, who died due to alleged torture in police custody in Dantewada.
According to an NHRC statement, the Commission has recommended that Chhattisgarh government pay Rs five lakh as monetary relief to the family of Pudiyami Mada, who died due to alleged police torture while being in illegal custody from January 9 to January 13, 2012.
The Chief Secretary of the state has been asked to submit compliance report along with proof of payment within eight weeks, the statement said.

NHRC had taken suo motu cognizance of the issue on January 19, 2012 after a media report alleged that Mada committed suicide at Sukma Police Station in Dantewada on January 13, 2012. The local police had put the blame on the CRPF personnel saying that they had nabbed Mada a few days earlier and had tortured him.
In response to the notice, the state government provided various reports, including the Magisterial Enquiry Report which confirmed that Pudiyami Mada died while in police custody and that it was a very serious matter.
Observing that the magisterial enquiry report has pointed negligence on the part of the state officials, the NHRC said the state is liable to pay monetary relief to the next of kin of the deceased.