Gujarat High Court Grants ₹1 Lakh to Man Jailed for 3 Years Despite Bail Order
In a shocking case of negligence, the Gujarat High Court has ordered the State to pay ₹1 lakh as compensation to Chandanji Thakor (27), who remained in jail for nearly three years, even after being granted bail.
The Court, led by Justice AS Supehia and Justice MR Mengdey, passed this order after a fresh application was filed by Thakor. The case highlighted serious failure by jail officials and the legal system to implement a bail order sent via email.
According to the High Court, its registry had informed the jail about the bail order. The jail authorities admitted they received the email, but claimed they were unable to open the attachment due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The District Sessions Court had also received the email, but took no action to ensure the bail order was carried out. The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) also failed to notify the jail about the bail suspension.
As a result, Thakor stayed imprisoned, even though he could have been released on September 29, 2020, when his life sentence in a murder case was suspended.
The Court noted that the jail officials should have contacted the Registry or Sessions Court to follow up on the order. Their failure to do so caused Thakor to lose years of his life behind bars unnecessarily.
“The applicant, though released by the Court, was forced to remain in jail due to negligence,” the bench stated.
Calling this a “serious lapse”, the Court directed the State to pay ₹1 lakh compensation within 14 days.
Additionally, the Court asked all District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) in the State to collect data on prisoners who have been granted bail but not released, to avoid similar errors in the future.
Case Title: Gato Chhanaji Thakor v. State of Gujarat
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