In Brief

This public interest litigation, initiated by a letter from former Chief Justice R. C. Lahoti, addressed unnatural deaths in prisons and custodial violence. The Supreme Court held that such deaths violate Article 21 of the Constitution (the right to life and dignity) and that compensation must be awarded to the next of kin. The Court identified four primary issues: overcrowding, unnatural deaths, staff inadequacy, and insufficient training. It recognized that suicides in prisons—which account for the majority of unnatural deaths—result from both the prison environment and inmates' personal crises. The Court issued comprehensive directions requiring High Courts to identify and compensate victims, directing the government to circulate reform guidelines and the NHRC monograph on suicide prevention, mandating training and sensitization programmes for prison officials, improving medical facilities, appointing counselors, and establishing Boards of Visitors in prisons. The Court also highlighted the inadequate documentation of child deaths in child care institutions under the Juvenile Justice Act.

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