State Of Haryana & Ors vs Bala Devi

The Supreme Court held that the mere wrong diagnosis and treatment of Randhir Singh, who was in judicial custody, does not amount to criminal negligence by the jail authorities. The Court found that he was referred to a reputed hospital and received the advised treatment, and thus, the High Court's finding of negligence was unsustainable. The appeal was allowed, and the High Court's judgment was set aside, but the compensation already disbursed to the widow and children was not to be recovered due to the peculiar circumstances of the case.