The Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has recommended payment of ₹5,000 as compensation to the family of an under-trial prisoner who died in custody in Nizamabad in 2017, holding the jail authorities responsible for the negligence that led to the death in custody.
The commission was probing the death of Makkala Hanmanthu, also known as Nani, who died on September 8, 2017 at around 5:00 pm while undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital, Nizamabad. The case was initially reported by the Nizamabad Police Commissioner and was also registered with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) before it was closed there as the TGHRC had already taken cognizance of the matter. The TGHRC reviewed the judicial inquiry report and other materials on record.
The Second Additional Judicial Magistrate First Class, Nizamabad, who conducted the inquiry, concluded that the deceased had committed suicide by using a wire available in the jail premises, indicating negligence on the part of the jail authorities. The forensic expert opinion further confirmed that the cause of death was suffocation due to hanging.
Based on these findings, the TGHRC found that the presence of wire in a secure prison environment that could be used as a ligature reflected a serious failure in vigilance and supervision by the prison authorities.
“Remand trials are entirely dependent on prison management for their safety, security and well-being, and the authorities have a duty to prevent self-harm. Failure to disclose or restrict access to potentially dangerous material amounted to actionable negligence and a breach of statutory and constitutional duty,” the commission said.
Taking into account all the circumstances, the Commission recommended that the Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana should pay ₹5 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased. “The compensation would serve both as compensation for the loss suffered by the family and as a deterrent against future carelessness in the administration of custody,” the TGHRC said.
Published – 20 March 2026 20:03 IST
