India, Oct. 27 -- The Delhi High Court observed that police cannot be held liable for a custodial death solely on the ground that the individual died inside a police station.

"In such circumstances, in the absence of material establishing a specific omission, prior knowledge of imminent danger, or a reasonable opportunity to prevent the occurrence, negligence cannot be fastened upon the police by inference alone merely because the deceased happened to be at the police station. A tragic consequence, however grave, does not by itself establish culpable inaction," the bench of justice Amit Mahajan, in his October 12 verdict, said. The order was, however, released later.

The court delivered the verdict while dealing with Delhi Police's appe...