Gurgaon: The Haryana Human Rights Commission directed the state govt and the state police to frame a compensation policy for deaths, torture and other violations in police custody on the lines of the existing policy for deaths in judicial custody. Commission member Deep Bhatia said the framework must mirror the existing compensation mechanism to ensure uniform accountability and compensation across all custody-related cases.In 2021, the state implemented India’s first compensation policy for unnatural deaths in judicial custody—offering Rs 7.5 lakh in cases involving assault, torture or negligence by prison officials, and Rs 5 lakh for deaths caused by medical negligence. The policy was subsequently endorsed by the National Human Rights Commission. Bhatia was hearing a case of alleged custodial violations where the complainant argued that families of victims of police custody violence face uncertainty due to the absence of a structured compensation regime. The commission observed that the state cannot maintain two separate standards—one for judicial custody and another for police custody.The Commission directed the govt to finalize a policy, in consultation with relevant departments, ensuring timely compensation as a constitutional mandate. The policy must clearly outline violation categories, assessment procedures, compensation amounts, and disbursement timelines.
