TOKYO, Nov 21 (V7N) — The Tokyo High Court has significantly increased the damages awarded to the wife of a Nepalese man who died in police custody after being arrested and physically restrained by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The original compensation set at about ¥1 million has now been raised to approximately ¥39 million — equivalent to around Tk 2.3 crore.

The victim, aged 39 at the time of his death, was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of stealing lost or mislaid property. According to the high court ruling issued by Presiding Judge Maki Aizawa, the man became violent while held in an MPD detention facility. Officers then restrained him using a belt and handcuffs.

Shortly afterward, he lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In March 2023, the Tokyo District Court acknowledged that the MPD had been responsible for delaying his transfer to the hospital. However, based on Nepalese legal standards and previous court rulings, it limited the compensation to about ¥1 million.

The High Court rejected that assessment, ruling that the man had been restrained with “excessively strong force,” which severely restricted his blood flow and directly caused his death through illegal physical restraint. The updated calculation included lost wages and additional compensation, resulting in the sharply increased damages.

An MPD official said the department “will examine the ruling in detail and consider our next step.”

END/WD/SMA/