✅ Famous Custodial Death Case Laws in India

1. 🔹 D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (1997)

• Citation: (1997) 1 SCC 416

• Significance: The most important judgment on custodial torture.

• Outcome:

  • Laid down 11 mandatory guidelines to be followed during arrests and detentions.

  • Police officers violating these norms would be personally liable for contempt.

• Why It’s Famous: It’s the foundation for police arrest procedures in India.

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2. 🔹 Nilabati Behera v. State of Orissa (1993)

• Citation: (1993) 2 SCC 746

• Facts: A 22-year-old died in police custody; his mother filed a writ petition.

• Outcome:

  • Supreme Court awarded monetary compensation for violation of fundamental rights under Article 21.

  • Set a precedent for constitutional tort—compensation as a public law remedy.

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3. 🔹 Joginder Kumar v. State of U.P. (1994)

• Citation: (1994) 4 SCC 260

• Significance: Addressed arbitrary arrests and the rights of arrested persons.

• Outcome:

  • Police cannot arrest just because it is lawful—they must show necessity.

  • Reaffirmed that detention must not be mechanical and must follow due process.

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4. 🔹 State of Andhra Pradesh v. Challa Ramkrishna Reddy (2000)

• Citation: (2000) 5 SCC 712

• Facts: A prisoner died due to lack of medical care in jail.

• Outcome:

  • Reaffirmed that fundamental rights do not stop at prison gates.

  • State is liable for deaths in custody—even due to negligence.

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5. 🔹 Rudul Sah v. State of Bihar (1983)

• Citation: AIR 1983 SC 1086

• Facts: Detained illegally for over 14 years after acquittal.

• Outcome:

  • First case where the Supreme Court awarded compensation under Article 32.

  • Expanded the scope of judicial remedy for fundamental rights violations.

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6. 🔹 Sheela Barse v. State of Maharashtra (1983)

• Citation: AIR 1983 SC 378

• Facts: Writ petition filed regarding the condition of women prisoners and abuse.

• Outcome:

  • Directed the state to ensure legal aid and no incommunicado detention.

  • Special care for children and women in custody.

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7. 🔹 Mehmood Nayyar Azam v. State of Chhattisgarh (2012)

• Citation: (2012) 8 SCC 1

• Facts: Businessman tortured in custody; filed a writ under Article 32.

• Outcome:

  • Supreme Court awarded ₹5 lakh compensation.

  • Reiterated that dignity is non-negotiable under Article 21.

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8. 🔹 Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh (2020)

• Citation: (2021) 1 SCC 184

• Significance: Regarding installation of CCTV cameras in police stations and interrogation rooms.

• Outcome:

  • Directed the central and state governments to ensure surveillance as a preventive measure against custodial torture.

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9. 🔹 Inhuman Conditions in 1382 Prisons (Re-Inhuman Conditions case, 2016–2020)

• Significance: PIL addressing overcrowding, torture, and mental health conditions in jails.

• Outcome:

  • Court issued guidelines to improve prison administration.

  • Linked poor prison conditions to human rights violations.

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📝 Summary Table: