The Allahabad High Court has stayed the recovery of compensation from Head Jail Warder Kailash Mina in the case of suicide of a prisoner in Muzaffarnagar District Jail.
A Single Bench of Justice Vikas Budhwar passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Kailash Mina.
The contention of the petitioner’s counsel is that while the petitioner was posted in 2019 as a Head Jail Warder in the jail on August 5, 2019, undertrial prisoner Ankur, son of Virendra @ Vilendra, detained in District Jail in Room No 1 in Barrack No 9- 10 with 11 others prisoners, committed suicide.
The matter travelled to the National Human Rights Commission whereby Rs 4 lakh was sought as compensation. An inquiry/investigation was conducted pursuant whereto the inquiry officer Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division)/ Judicial Magistrate, Muzaffarnagar, consequent to the inquiry found the petitioner not guilty of any omission/ misconduct. However, the liability was fastened upon Ram Bal Singh, Head Jail Warder.
According to the petitioner, the impugned order has been passed on 24.10.2024 in effectuating the recovery against the petitioner.
The Court observed that the matter requires consideration. The Court granted six weeks time to file counter affidavit for the respondents and two weeks time to file rejoinder affidavit.
The Court has fixed the next hearing of the petition on 20.01.2025.
“Till the next date of listing, the effect and operation of the order dated 24.10.2024 passed by the Superintendent, District Jail, Meerut insofar as it pertains to recovery of the compensation from the petitioner shall remain stayed,” the Court ordered.