The Price Of Human Life- Unsafe Food, Civil Liability & Criminal Law In India
- IJLLR Journal
- Mar 13
- 1 min read
Saanjh Inuganti, B.A.LL.B., Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai.
ABSTRACT
While it’s often said that human life is of great value, when we see offences take place at their price, it makes us think again. This article examines the legal meaning of the term “price” of a human life in India in the context of deaths allegedly linked to poor-quality or unsafe food and compares the Indian framework with that of the United States. While the Indian law does not assign any fixed monetary value to life, it does compensate for wrongful death as a remedy, also stated in constitutional and statutory principles, particularly under Article 21 of the Constitution of India1. This article aims to clarify that food related deaths are not merely civil wrongs and can thus, attract criminal liability under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 20062 and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, now, Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita3, alongside civil remedies through tort principles and consumer protection law.
