Meghalaya reports 38 custodial deaths since 2012: Govt to HC

SHILLONG: The state government of Meghalaya has informed the high court that 38 people have died in custody in the state since 2012.

According to a bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice H S Thangkhiew, an exercise must be carried out to determine which deaths in custody were unnatural.

The court set a tentative compensation amount of Rs 10 lakh for the relatives of inmates who died unnaturally in custody, but said the ex-gratia must be increased if the deceased was under the age of 40.

In addition to the 38 indicated by the state, it requested that the state government place advertisements in select newspapers published in Shillong, Tura, and Nongstoin seeking information on custodial deaths.

The case was heard suo motu on May 31 as a public interest litigation instituted by the HC in response to a Supreme Court order. The state government filed affidavits in court detailing the entire list of people who died in custody since 2012.

Meghalaya HC seeks complete report on custodial death on 14 April

A court official said on 14 April that the Meghalaya High Court has ordered the Inspector General of Prisons to file an affidavit with a complete list of people who have died in custody since 2012.

A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeeb Banerjee and Justice Hamarsan Sing Thangkhiew, hearing a petition on custodial violence and other matters relating to prison conditions, ordered the Inspector General of Prisons to file an additional affidavit detailing the list of people who have died in custody since 2012 within the next ten days.

The affidavit was also ordered to be counter-verified by the Chief Secretary.

The court, referring to the amicus curiae's observation, noted several anomalies in the earlier reports and affidavits on the custodial deaths.

The Meghalaya High Court then announced the date for  next hearing of the case on May 2.