India, June 14 -- The Delhi High Court has held the State vicariously liable for unnatural deaths in judicial custody, asserting that it has a constitutional obligation to ensure the safety and dignity of incarcerated individuals.

The verdict came on Thursday from justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar in a case involving the custodial death of a Tihar Jail inmate, Javed, just two days before he was to be released in 2013. The court not only awarded compensation to Javed's legal heirs but also issued sharp observations on the failure of prison authorities to prevent gang violence in prisons.

"The State, owing a duty to ensure the security of the general public, including incarcerated persons, is responsible to compensate in cases of unnatu...