The State Human Rights Commission on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) recommended that the Tamil Nadu government pay a compensation of ₹3 lakh to the legal heirs of a 60-year-old remand prisoner, who suffered chest pain and was later declared ‘brought dead’ by a hospital in Salem in October 2019.
SHRC member V. Kannadasan recommended that the State take appropriate steps to give proper treatment to prisoners, both in and out of the prison. He also recommended taking steps to provide sufficient and unique escorts while sending prisoners to hospitals away from the prison.
The Commission received a fax from the Superintendent of Prisons, Central Prison, Salem, that remand prisoner K. Gurusamy, 60, of Kumarapalayam in Tiruchengode taluk of Namakkal district was declared ‘brought dead’ in October 2019. It further requested to depute a Judicial Magistrate to inquire into the incident.
The Commission called for a detailed report from the State government and from the SHRC’s investigation division. Citing a report submitted, which stated that it was the responsibility of the Superintendent of Prisons to supervise doctors, the Commission said: “But, in this case, the Superintendent of Prisons failed to do so. Hence, he is solely responsible for the death of the prisoner Gurusamy.”
Published – October 15, 2025 04:01 pm IST
