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the deceased prisoner for the viola on of his human
rights.
Based on these observa ons, the Commission issued a
show cause no ce under Sec on 18 of the PHRA to the
Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, as to why the
Commission should not recommend a monetary compensa on of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Rupees Five Lakh only) to the NoK
of the deceased. The Commission also directed the
Director General of Prisons, Bihar, to conduct an enquiry
into the ma er, take appropriate ac on against the
responsible officials, and submit an ac on taken report.
Furthermore, the Commission issued instruc ons to the
District Magistrate, Patna, and the Superintendent of
Police, Patna, Bihar, to promptly submit an ac on taken
report based on the findings of the medico-legal examinaon report and ini ate a c o m p r e h e n s i v e i n v e s g a
o n b y registering a criminal case under Sec on 302 of
the Indian Penal Code. The District Magistrate, Patna, was
specifically directed to provide a detailed report on the
ac ons taken against the Execu ve Magistrate who
conducted the Magisterial Enquiry, as it was discovered
that she did not adhere to the guidelines set forth by the
NHRC.
Following the direc ves of the Commission, a le er dated
19 July 2022 was received from the Assistant Inspector
General (Prison), Bihar, affirming that appropriate
departmental ac on had been taken against the warden.
However, the Commission noted that the ini a on of
departmental ac on against the delinquent jail official
does not absolve the State of its vicarious liability to
provide compensa on to the NoK of the deceased
prisoner, who was murdered within the confines of the
jail. The Hon'ble Supreme Court, in the Nilaba Behera
case, explicitly emphasised that convicts, prisoners, or
under-trials are en tled to the protec on of their
fundamental rights under Ar cle 21 of the Cons tu on,
and the police and prison authori es bear the corresponding responsibility to ensure that individuals in
custody are not deprived of their Right to Life. It further
observed that the State has an unwavering duty of care to
ensure that the guarantee of Ar cle 21 is upheld for all
individuals and must accept responsibility by providing
compensa on to the grieving family members of an
individual who has been unlawfully deprived of his life.
This duty of care is absolute and allows for no excep ons.
Consequently, the Commission reaffirmed its recommenChapter 7 - Thematic Areas
da on and directed the Chief Secretary, Government of
Bihar, to provide monetary compensa- on of Rs.
5,00,000/- (Rupees Five Lakh only) to the NoK of the
deceased.
Accordingly, a le er dated 12 December 2022 from the
District Magistrate, Patna, was received, along with proof
of payment. Hence, the case was closed on 27 January
2023.
7.) Illegal Arrest and Deten on, by the police of PS
Cyber Crime, Lucknow, U.P., on the premises of
HDFC Bank in Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi.
(Case No: 16413/24/48/2019)
The Commission received a complaint on 20 June 2019
from the Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights
Ini a ve (CHRI), alleging the illegal arrest and deten on
of her brother by the police of PS Cyber Crime, Lucknow,
U.P., at the premises of HDFC Bank in Safdarjung Enclave,
New Delhi.
Upon receiving this complaint, the Commission took
ac on by referring the ma er to the SP, Cyber Crime,
Lucknow, through the Focal Point for Human Rights
Defender. A team from the Commission conducted a spot
inquiry into the incident and subsequently submi ed
their report for review. According to the report's findings,
the person had been apprehended by the police team of
P.S. Cyber Cell, Lucknow, with the assistance of STF Unit,
Noida, from the premises of OBC Bank Branch located in
Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, on 13 June 2019 at 13:54
hours. He was then transported to Lucknow without
complying with any legal formali es as s pulated by the
law. The official record indicated that his arrest was
documented by the police at the Charbagh Railway
Sta on tempo stand in Lucknow, U ar Pradesh, on 14
June 2019 at 23:50 hours. This arrest was made in connecon with a bank fraud case.
Following his arrest, the vic m was subsequently
presented before the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate
Court Custom in Lucknow on the following day and was
subsequently sent to the district jail located in Lucknow.
The enquiry conducted by the Commission yielded
conclusive evidence of unlawful deten on by the police. It
was determined that he had been in police custody for
more than 48 hours. However, the enquiry could not
substan ate the allega on of police assault due to a lack
27