CW-2008-0028Chennai, Tamil NaduJudgment 20 October 2008

Korattur Man vs State of Tamil Nadu and Anr.

The Madras High Court (K.K. Sasidharan, J.) allowed the writ petition of B. Ammu, widow of 26-year-old construction worker a Korattur man, who hanged himself with his lungi in the Korattur police station lavatory while in custody on 14 November 1998 in a theft case. Relying on the RDO magisterial enquiry and Collector and Home Department reports, the court held the station officers responsible for serious lapses, including allowing the lungi against Police Standing Order 661, a blank general diary and a missing arrest memo. Holding the police responsible for the death though it was suicide, the court awarded Rs.3,32,000 with 6% interest (Rs.4,32,000 on MV Act multiplier less Rs.1,00,000 ex gratia already paid). 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 20 October 2008 in W.P. No. 11388 of 1999, the Madras High Court (Coram: K.K. Sasidharan, J.) returned findings adverse to 6 police personnel, namely: Inspector, Korattur Police Station; Sub-Inspector, Korattur Police Station; Head Constable, Korattur Police Station; Police Constable, Korattur Police Station; Police Constable, Korattur Police Station; Police Constable, Korattur Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 3.3 lakh (Rs 3,32,000).

Register number
TN 01 CW 0006
Case reference
W.P. No. 11388 of 1999 / (2009) 1 MLJ 1090; 2009 Cri LJ 866
Court and date
Madras High Court (Coram: K.K. Sasidharan, J.), 20 October 2008
Officer(s) at the material time
Inspector, Korattur Police Station; Sub-Inspector, Korattur Police Station; Head Constable, Korattur Police Station; Police Constable, Korattur Police Station; Police Constable, Korattur Police Station; Police Constable, Korattur Police Station
Present service status
Not ascertained from the cited sources.
Provisions invoked
Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 380 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Article 21 of the Constitution of India
Finding of the Court (extract)
“The report of the Home Department prepared on the basis of the Magisterial enquiry report as well as the report submitted by the District Collector clearly shows that death could have been avoided had the police officers shown little care …” (at para 9)
Verdict, sentence and quantum
Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 3.3 lakh (Rs 3,32,000).
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 Madras High Court judgment dated 20 October 2008 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.

“The report of the Home Department prepared on the basis of the Magisterial enquiry report as well as the report submitted by the District Collector clearly shows that death could have been avoided had the police officers shown little care …” (para 9)

Institutional response

1
20 Oct 2008

Order issued

Concluded
Madras High Court External · Binding

The Madras High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 332,000.

Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only).
Source: (2009) 1 MLJ 1090; 2009 Cri LJ 866
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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