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PAVUL YESU DHASAN versus THE REGISTRAR, STATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF TAMIL NADU & ORS.

Citation: [2025] 4 S.C.R. 2549 · Decided: 30-04-2025 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: ABHAY S. OKA · Disposal: Dismissed

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Judgment (excerpt)

[2025] 4 S.C.R. 2549 : 2025 INSC 677
Pavul Yesu Dhasan 
v. 
The Registrar, State Human Rights  
Commission of Tamil Nadu & Ors.
(Civil Appeal No. 6358 of 2025)
30 April 2025
[Abhay S.Oka* and Ujjal Bhuyan, JJ.]
Issue for Consideration
Matter pertains to the violation of human rights on refusal to register 
FIR by the Inspector of Police as also using of objectionable 
language while talking to complainant’s mother; and correctness of 
order of the State Human Rights Commission directing the Excise 
Department to pay compensation to the complainant with liberty to 
recover the amount from the appellant-Inspector of Police.
Headnotes†
Constitution of India – Art.21 – Human Rights Act, 1993 – 
s.2(d) – Human Rights – Violation of – Refusal to register 
FIR – Third respondent visited police station for lodging 
complaint along with his parents – Appellant-Inspector of 
Police refused to register FIR and also used very objectionable 
language while talking to third respondent’s mother – After 
holding inquiry, State Human Rights Commission directed the 
Excise Department to pay compensation to the complainant-
third respondent with liberty to recover the amount from the 
appellant – Interference with:
Held: Not called for – Every citizen of India who goes to a police 
station to report commission of an offence deserves to be treated 
with human dignity – That is his fundamental right u/Art.21 – 
Citizen who wants to report commission of an offence, should 
not be treated like a criminal – Appellant being a senior officer 
ought to have immediately registered the FIR – However, he not 
only refused to do it but used very objectionable language, while 
talking to the third respondent’s mother – Looking to the conduct 
of the appellant, it was rightly found by the Commission and by 
High Court that there was violation of human rights on the part of 
the appellant. [Paras 7-9]
* Author
2550
[2025] 4 S.C.R.
Supreme Court Reports
List of Acts
Constitution of India; Human Rights Act, 1993.
List of Keywords
Human rights; Violation of human rights; Refusal to register FIR; 
Fundamental right; Compensation; Using objectionable language; 
Non-registration of FIR; Human dignity.
Case Arising From
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 6358  
of 2025
From the Judgment and Order dated 17.08.2022 of the High Court 
of Judicature at Madras in WP No. 21135 of 2022
Appearances for Parties
Advs. for the Appellant:
P V Yogeswaran, Dr. Ram Sankar, Mrs. Harini Ramsankar,  
Y Lokesh, Ashish Kumar Upadhyay, (for M/S. Ram Sankar & Co.)
Advs. for the Respondents:
Ms. R. Shase, Balaji Thiagaragan, Sibi Kargil, Sabarish 
Subramanian, Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Danish Saifi.
Judgment / Order of the Supreme Court
Order
Abhay S. Oka, J.
Leave granted.
2.	
Heard the learned counsel appearing for the appellant.
3.	
The State Human Rights Commission, Tamil Nadu passed an 
order directing the Additional Chief Secretary of the Government, 
Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai to 
pay compensation of Rs.2,00,000/- (Rupees two lakhs) to the third 
respondent-complainant. Liberty was granted to the Additional Chief 
Secretary to recover the said amount from the present appellant who 
was the Inspector of Police attached to Srivilliputhur Town Police 
[2025] 4 S.C.R. 
2551
Pavul Yesu Dhasan v. 
The Registrar, State Human Rights Commission of Tamil Nadu & Ors.
Station (Crime) Virthunagar District, Tamil Nadu. After holding an 
inquiry, the State Human Rights Commission found not only that the 
appellant refused to register a First Information Report (for short, “FIR”) 
but used filthy language while talking to the respondent’s mother.
4.	
The submission of the learned counsel appearing for the appellant 
is that assuming that the appellant declined to register FIR, it will 
not amount to violation of human rights. He invited our attention to 
the definition of “human rights” under Section 2 (d) of the Human 
Rights Act, 1993 (for short, “the Act”). The submission is that there 
is no violation of human rights in this case.
5.	
Clause (d) of Section 2 of the Act reads thus:
“(d) “human rights” means the rights relating to life, liberty, 
equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the 
Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants 
and enforceable by courts in India; 
6.	
The facts of this case, to say the least, are shocking. The third 
respondent visited the Police Station for lodging a complaint along 
with his p

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