State Asked to Explain Circumstances of Inmate’s Fatal Injuries

The High Court of Chhattisgarh, sitting in Bilaspur on August 20, 2026, issued a stern demand for clarification from state authorities regarding the death of a prisoner at Mahasamund jail. The post‑mortem examination uncovered thirty‑five injury sites on the deceased, leading the bench—Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agarwal—to instruct the Chief Secretary and the DGP to submit sworn statements.

In their observation, the judges highlighted that any loss of life while a person is in state custody is a severe blow to the principle of legal protection. They reiterated that the duty of safeguarding inmates rests wholly with the prison administration and police officials.

The reference was also made to a Supreme Court order in the Laharabai Tamre versus State of Chhattisgarh case, which had earlier directed a CBI investigation into custodial deaths and ordered a compensation of INR 2.5 million for the victim’s kin.

The government informed the court that a sum of INR 7.5 lakhs had already been released to the family on September 20, 2025, as recorded by the assistant jail superintendent. Nevertheless, the High Court insisted on a thorough account of how the thirty‑five injuries were sustained.

The matter will return to the bench on August 31, 2026, when the required affidavits must be filed and the court will assess the adequacy of the explanation provided.