MHA: ‘Generous approach’ taken in compensation offer

Listing Dinesh Raman Chinnaiah’s background, ranging from his secret society roots to his breaching of a Personal Protection Order his mother had taken against him, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it had taken a “generous approach” in working out a compensation offer to his family for his death in prison in 2010, although it did not state the quantum.

Yet, the family dawdled on submitting a formal claim despite indicating they would do so, and instead sought an informal settlement for “substantial windfall amounts that are completely disproportionate”, said the ministry.

The Government had told the family on Sept 10 — a day before their lawyer M Ravi made public they were suing — it would offer compensation in accepting full responsibility for Dinesh Raman’s death from a botched restraint operation.

The MHA said it had worked out the sum on the premise that Dinesh Raman would have gone on to the Institute of Technical Education and have had a stable job, which was a “generous approach” given that he was a secret society member who did not complete his O-Levels, or held a stable job prior to incarceration. He was also sentenced to Reformative Training for rioting and theft on Dec 6, 2007 and barely a week after he was released on Jan 6, 2010, his mother had reported him for injuring her, the ministry revealed.

The MHA said: “If the Government cannot reach an agreement with Dinesh Raman’s family, it will leave it to the court to decide on the appropriate quantum of compensation.”