Madras HC orders compensation for 65-yr-old wrongly imprisoned for 5 years

The Madras High Court has asked the State Government to pay a compensation of Rs. 2 Lakh to a 65-year-old who was wrongly imprisoned for a period of five years before being acquitted.

 

The Hight Court said that it would be in the fitness of things if the State Government is directed to pay within four week interim compensation to Pakkirisamy for suffering illegal detenation for a period of four years seven months and seven days, according to TNIE.

 

On October 10,2001, Pakkirisamy, his son Annadurai and wife Rani were tried by Additional Sessions Judge in Nagapattinam. They were convicted and were given life imprisonment. 

 

They filed an appeal before the court and in January, 2003 they were released on bail. The Madras High Court also acquitted Pakkirisamy of the murder charge and set aside his life imprisonment.

 

But Pakkirisamy was again produced at the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Nagapattinam on July 31,2006 for undergoing the unexpired portion of the sentence.

 

The Madras High Court bench stated that there was an error in the judgement by the Chief Judicial Magistrate as the entire conviction and sentence imposed was not confirmed by the High Court. After filing of the Habaes Corpus petition, Pakkirisamy was released on October 16,2014. 

 

The bench said, "Thus it is obvious to us that, Pakkirisamy, who should have been released much earlier was kept in incarceration beyond the period of sentence that he was liable to suffer and was released only on October 16, 2014 after the filing of petition," reported by TNIE.