CW-1997-0005Vadodara, GujaratJudgment 6 May 1997

Jagruti vs [name withheld] (P.I.) and Ors.

The Gujarat High Court held it prima facie established that a Vadodara man, a Hubli businessman and known heart patient arrested in the Alembic Chemicals cheating case, was tortured in police custody at Gorva, Vadodara, and that his death on 5 December 1996 was traceable to police acts and omissions. The Court relied on photographs showing injuries on his soles, back and body corroborated by ante-mortem post-mortem injuries, and found no medical care was given despite knowledge of his ailment. It rejected the attribution of death to cardiac arrest from mental tension without examining custodial violence. Holding the facts disclosed a cognizable offence including a possible corruption angle, the Court ordered registration and investigation plus Rs 3 lakh interim compensation to the widow and Rs 15,000 costs. The court held the death prima facie traceable to the police and ordered FIR registration and investigation with Rs 3 lakh interim State compensation; the personal liability of Police Inspector of Gorva Police Station was expressly left open. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

Externally reportedV2
What this record means

This page documents a court-adjudicated case from the judgment and cited sources below. Findings are attributed to the court; this record does not add findings of its own.

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Report card

By judgment dated 6 May 1997 in Special Criminal Application No. 480 of 1997, the Gujarat High Court (Coram: N. N. Mathur, J.) returned findings adverse to the Police Inspector, Gorva Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 3 lakh (Rs 3,00,000).

Register number
GJ 06 CW 0003
Case reference
Special Criminal Application No. 480 of 1997 / 1998 CriLJ 3251
Court and date
Gujarat High Court (Coram: N. N. Mathur, J.), 6 May 1997
Officer(s) at the material time
Police Inspector, Gorva Police Station
Present service status
Not ascertained from the cited sources.
Provisions invoked
the Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Finding of the Court (extract)
“A just look at the photographs speaks in volume how the deceased was tortured while he was in police custody.” (at para 3)
Verdict, sentence and quantum
Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 3 lakh (Rs 3,00,000).
Present status of the proceedings
No further proceedings are recorded in the cited sources; the judgment is the concluded position shown.

Compiled from the judgment and the cited sources. Findings are those of the court; this card adds none of its own.

The Gujarat High Court judgment dated 6 May 1997 is the concluded position shown in the cited sources.

Recorded allegations

1
Custodial deathPrimary
Material fact supported

Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.

Official finding: supports allegation.

What the court found

Holding not recorded separately.

“A just look at the photographs speaks in volume how the deceased was tortured while he was in police custody.” (para 3)

Institutional response

1
6 May 1997

Order issued

Concluded
Gujarat High Court External · Binding

The Gujarat High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 300,000.

Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only).
Source: 1998 CriLJ 3251
Not yet re-checked.

Follow-up history

1
19 Sep 2026

(Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass; skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl))

Corrections (0): No corrections recorded.

Review: Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded.

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