Holding it a case of police brutality, the Patna High Court has ordered Bihar Government to pay Rs five lakh as compensation within three months to the father of an 18-year-old boy who died in police custody in 1998.
Justice Barin Ghosh, on conclusion of argument by counsels from both the sides, on Friday directed the state Government to pay the petitioner Ramavtar Swarnkar, whose son Sheokant Kumar had died in custody, a sum of Rs five lakh as compensation within three months.
Kumar had died in Digha police station in Patna following a brutal assault on him by policemen.
The court said the state Government would recover the amount from the erring police officials posted at Digha police station at that time.
Swarnkar had in his petition alleged that his son Sheokant, who was arrested by police from Digha area in connection with a criminal case, was "virtually killed" by the police officials.
He had complained to the court that his son was taken into custody on June 4, 1998 and was brought to the police station where he was tied to an electric pole and brutally assaulted.
Swarnkar said his son was made to lie down on sand under the scorching summer sun and was refused water whenever he had asked for and instead, sand was filled in his mouth.
{{/usCountry}}Swarnkar said his son was made to lie down on sand under the scorching summer sun and was refused water whenever he had asked for and instead, sand was filled in his mouth.
{{/usCountry}}Sheokumar was on June five produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody.
Sheokumar later started vomiting blood in jail following which he was sent to Patna Medical College and Hospital on June 9, 1998 where he died the same day at 10 am, Swarnkar said.