The learned Attorney General who at one stage appeared on behalf of the State at the hearing of the writ petition contended that the inquiry upon which the Court was embarking in order to find out whether or not the petitioners were blinded by the police officials whilst in police custody was irrelevant, since, in his submission, even if the petitioners were so blinded, the State was not liable to pay compensation to the petitioners first, because the state was not constitutionally or legally responsible for the acts of the police officers outside the scope of 159 their power or authority and the blindings of the under trial prisoners effected by the police could not therefore be said to constitute violation of their fundamental right under Article 21 by the State and secondly, even if there was violation of the fundamental right of the petitioners under Article 21 by reason of the blindings effected by the police officials, there was, on a true construction of that Article, no liability on the State to pay compensation to the petitioners.