ARIJIT ADHIKARY Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) There are two writ petitions; one filed by a public interest litigant, Arijit Adhikary and the other is a suo motu writ petition entertained by this Court.

(2.) The matter concerns the unnatural death of a teenager in the Mallarpur Police Station, District - Birbhum. Various orders have been passed from time to time and affidavits have been filed by the Assistant Director of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Chairperson, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, Birbhum. Apart from that, a factual report has also been submitted by the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal, Home and Hill Affairs Department. On going through the reports and the factual matrix, we find that there is a sorry state of affairs in which a young boy of 15 years died in police custody.

(3.) There are two aspects, which are being pointed out in both the writ petitions. Firstly, as to how the police officers have to be sensitised and what are the directions, which need to be issued to them. The second aspect is with regard to the payment of compensation to the family of the victim boy. We take up the second issue first.