Delhi govt notifies prisoner death relief scheme for kin

New Delhi: Kin of prison inmates who die there under unnatural circumstances will be eligible for compensation up to Rs 7.5 lakh under a scheme notified by the Delhi government. The compensation will be paid to the next of kin or the legal heirs of prisoners who suffer unnatural death while in custody in city jails.

Under the scheme, a sum between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7.5 lakh will be provided depending on the circumstances of each case, the Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement.

According to the notification, Rs 7.5 lakh will be paid to the family of a prisoner in cases where the death occurred due to clashes between inmates or alleged torture or assault by prison authorities.

A compensation of Rs 5 lakh has been prescribed in cases involving negligence by prison authorities or staff, negligence by medical or paramedical personnel, or suicide by a prisoner.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the scheme, notified in accordance with the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), will ensure timely relief to affected families in specified cases and will strengthen administrative accountability.

According to the notification issued by the Home Department of the Delhi government, the Scheme for Payment of Compensation on Account of Death of Prisoners in Delhi Prison, 2025, will apply only to cases involving the unnatural death of a prisoner in any Delhi prison on or after the date of notification.

The notification stipulates that no compensation will be payable in cases of natural death or death caused by illness. Deaths occurring while escaping from prison or from lawful custody, as well as deaths caused by disasters or calamities, will not be covered under the scheme.

The jail superintendent will be required to submit the magisterial inquiry report, post-mortem report, final cause of death, the prisoner’s medical history, and details of the treatment provided before death to the Director General (Prisons), Delhi, in every case.

These cases will be reviewed by a committee headed by the Director General (Prisons), with the Assistant Inspector General (Prisons), the Resident Medical Officer, the Deputy Controller (Accounts), and the Law Officer as its members.