82 dead in police custody; 974 in judicial custody

Monetary relief worth Rs 8.85 cr given to only 476
judicial custody death prisoners' families

New Delhi:

Eighty two prisoners died in police across the country as against 140 deaths reported last year. It is stated that Mahrashtra tops the list with 18 cases registered this year.

Interestingly, the figures of death in judicial custody is 974 as against 1,577 reported previous year. Maximum such cases have been recorded from Uttar Pradesh amongst all States or union territories for all the past three years since 2011-12. This year UP reported 188 cases. Interestingly, in Jammu and Kashmir only one such death under Judicial Custody has been recorded this year.

During the above period, including carried forward cases from previous years, in 476 cases of death in judicial custody, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended monetary relief amounting to Rs. 8.85 crore besides disciplinary action in 32 cases.

Further, in 221 cases of death in police custody including carried forward cases, the Commission recommended monetary relief of Rs. 5.84 crore besides disciplinary action in 10 cases and prosecution in one case.

Pursuant to the guidelines issued by the Commission, every death in custody, Police or judicial, natural or otherwise, is to be reported to the commission, within 24 hours of its occurrence.

In all such cases, the commission calls for various reports, including the inquest, post-mortem, videography of post-mortem, magisterial inquiry report for ascertaining foul play or negligence, if any, which resulted in the death.