‘48 unnatural prisoner deaths in Karnataka since 2012

As many as 48 prisoners have died unnaturally in the State since 2012, and compensation was paid only in one case, the State government has said in a statement submitted to the Karnataka High Court. This was in response to the court’s query in a PIL petition, which was initiated suo motu by the High Court, based on the apex court’s direction on the issue of unnatural deaths of undertrials or convicts in various prisons. Of the 48 cases of unnatural death, the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission ordered the Home Department to pay a compensation of ₹5 lakh to the wife of the prisoner in one case. Twenty-one cases are pending and 26 have been disposed of by the commission. A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice H.G. Ramesh and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, before whom the petition came up for hearing, adjourned further hearing to February 8 as the amicus curiae appointed by the court was not available to assist the court. Source: The Hindu