The Delhi High Court has awarded a compensation of Rs 50,000 to a man illegally detained by the city police in a lock-up for about half an hour, saying it was troubled by the way citizens were treated by officials whose conduct was “appalling”.
To send out a “meaningful message”, Justice Subramonium Prasad directed that the compensation be recovered from the salaries of the erring police officials.
The court observed that the authorities acted in a high-handed manner without respecting the petitioner’s liberty or following due procedure of law, as the petitioner was simply picked up from the spot and placed inside the lock-up for no rhyme or reason.
“The time spent in the lock-up by the petitioner, even for a short while, cannot absolve the police officers who have deprived the petitioner of his liberty without following the due procedure established by law,” the court said in its order dated October 5.
“This court is of the opinion that a meaningful message must be sent to the authorities that police officers cannot be law unto themselves. In the facts of this case, even though the illegal detention of the petitioner was only for about half an hour, this Court is inclined to grant compensation of Rs. 50,000/- to the petitioner, which shall be recovered from the salaries of Respondents No. 4 and 5,” it ordered.
