State liable even if custodial death was suicide: HC

State cannot escape liability for a custodial death even if the death is by suicide by pleading lack of direct culpability or relying on statutory schemes, the Delhi high court has held, while awarding ₹18.44 lakh as compensation to the father of a 19-year-old man who died by suicide in police custody in 2018.

- Shruti Kakkar

Justice Sachin Datta, in his verdict delivered on July 1, observed that a custodial death is not merely an individual tragedy but a “systemic concern” that strikes at the very foundation of the rule of law.

The court, in its ruling, held that once a person is deprived of liberty and placed in State custody, the authorities assume a “heightened duty of care” to safeguard their life and dignity.

The judge emphasised that any death in custody, whether resulting from violence, negligence, unexplained circumstances or even suicide, warrants judicial scrutiny, as it raises serious concerns about the protection of individual dignity and the credibility of the justice system.