S S AHLUWALIA vs UOI

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's ruling that the State has a duty under Article 21 of the Constitution to protect the life and dignity of its citizens, particularly in the context of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Court affirmed that if the State fails to protect its citizens, it is liable to compensate the victims' families. However, the Supreme Court declined to extend the Delhi High Court's decision in Bhajan Kaur v. Delhi Administration to all states without a detailed examination of individual circumstances, directing respective High Courts to handle the claims.