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A proceedings tribunal successful Tamil Nadu, connected Monday (April 6, 2026), awarded decease punishment to each the the 9 policemen recovered blameworthy of custodial torture and execution of a trader P. Jayaraj (58) and his lad J. Benicks (31) during the COVID-19 lockdown astatine Sattankulam successful Thoothukudi district.
The custodial torture meted retired to the begetter and lad successful June 2020, who were detained astatine the Sattankulam constabulary presumption connected the specified complaint of violating COVID-19 lockdown norms and keeping their mobile telephone income and work showroom open, had shaken civilian nine and besides became a governmental issue.
The Madurai First Additional District and Sessions Judge, G. Muthukumaran, had connected March 23, held that all 9 policemen prosecuted by the CBI successful the lawsuit were guilty of the crime.
Who are the 9 policemen?
The justice awarded decease condemnation to the past Sattankulam inspector S. Sridhar; sub-inspectors P. Raghu Ganesh and K. Balakrishnan; caput constables S. Murugan and A. Saamidurai; and constables M. Muthuraj, S. Chelladurai, X. Thomas Francis, and S. Veilumuthu. Special sub-inspector Pauldurai was besides an accused. But, helium died during proceedings aft contracting COVID-19.
‘An enactment of vengeance’
The justice said the enactment of the constabulary unit was unacceptable. “Where determination was powerfulness determination should beryllium responsibility. Jayaraj and Benicks were unarmed and were tortured astatine regular intervals each done the nighttime astatine the constabulary station,” the justice said. Jayaraj was tortured pursuing an altercation with the constabulary personnel, portion Benicks was tortured for intervening. They had nary erstwhile antecedents and it was an enactment of vengeance and instilled fearfulness among the public.
The justice said the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had monitored the lawsuit and if not for this, the lawsuit would person been buried. “The constabulary unit were mentally dependable and good educated. They were drafting authorities salaries. Those who should support and safeguard the nationalist acted successful specified a manner. It was a lawsuit of the obstruction eating the crop,” helium said.
It was an onslaught connected quality rights, the justice said, adding the custodial deaths were societal evils. He pointed retired to the caller custodial torture and decease incidents reported successful Tamil Nadu arsenic good arsenic outside. The justice referred to the George Floyd incidental reported successful the U.S. and the caller Ajith Kumar lawsuit reported successful Sivaganga district.
Total good of implicit ₹1 crore
“Mere beingness condemnation was not sufficient. The judgement should service arsenic a deterrent and should forestall recurrence, the justice said, and awarded the maximum condemnation connected the convicts. He said each of them were arsenic progressive successful the brutal onslaught connected Jayaraj and Benicks. The justice besides imposed a full good of implicit ₹1 crore connected the convicts. The justice recovered the constabulary unit blameworthy of execution and different offences nether the Indian Penal Code.
The Tamil Nadu government, successful its report, submitted that custodial deaths cannot beryllium tolerated and the Central authorities had sought maximum punishment for the convicts.
Criminal conspiracy
The CBI said the probe revealed that Jayaraj was picked from his store connected June 19, 2020, and lodged astatine the Sattankulam constabulary presumption successful pursuance of a transgression conspiracy hatched by the constabulary personnel. On information, Benicks rushed to the constabulary presumption to inquire astir the apprehension of his father. He objected to his begetter being beaten up.
Following an altercation, the 2 were wrongfully confined astatine the constabulary presumption and beaten up to “teach them a acquisition connected however to behave with the police”.
The CBI said Jayaraj and Benicks were subjected to brutal torture by the constabulary unit knowing that it was capable to origin their death. During the investigation, it was revealed the traders had not violated the COVID-19 lockdown rules, a complaint connected which the constabulary had detained them.
The traders were made to cleanable the humor from their wounds. The adjacent morning, a sanitary idiosyncratic was made to cleanable the humor to destruct evidence. A mendacious lawsuit was registered against the two, the CBI added.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance of the transgression and passed a slew of directions. The tribunal said it had recovered prima facie worldly to publication the constabulary unit for murder.
