The High Court of Karnataka has directed the state government to settle the compensation in cases of unnatural deaths in prisons, where there are no disputes.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari noted that pendency of proceedings before the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) does not come in the way of the state government taking any measures. The bench is hearing a suo motu case following the SC direction to chief justices of all high courts over custodial deaths in prisons across the country.
The state government in the last hearing has submitted a report stating that out of the 48 unnatural deaths reported in various prisons in Karnataka, between January 1, 2012 and October 31, 2017, as many as 31 were suicides and compensation has been awarded in only one case so far. The matter was adjourned to March 13.
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