2 months ago
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Six years aft a trader P. Jayaraj and his lad J. Benicks died of custodial torture during the COVID-19 lockdown astatine the Sattankulam Police Station successful Thoothukudi territory of Tamil Nadu, the First Additional District and Sessions Court successful Madurai connected Monday (March 23, 2026) convicted each 9 accused constabulary personnel.
Judge G. Muthukumaran said helium volition pronounce the quantum of condemnation connected March 30.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed its chargesheet successful the lawsuit connected September 25, 2020 and followed it up with a supplementary chargesheet connected August 12, 2022. It arraigned arsenic accused 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, an accused successful the case, died during proceedings aft contracting COVID-19.
The CBI said Jayaraj and his lad Benicks were subjected to brutal torture by the policemen, knowing afloat good that it was capable to origin their deaths. During the probe it was revealed the traders had not violated COVID-19 lockdown rules, a complaint connected which the constabulary had detained them. The CBI said the probe revealed Jayaraj was picked up from his store adjacent the Kamaraj statue astatine 7.30 p.m. connected June 19, 2020, and lodged astatine Sattankulam constabulary presumption successful pursuance of a transgression conspiracy hatched by the accused.
On information, Benicks rushed to the presumption to enquire 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 torture continued for respective hours passim the night, the CBI said.
Jayaraj and Benicks were made to cleanable the humor from their wounds. The adjacent morning, the cleanliness idiosyncratic of the Sattankulam constabulary presumption was made to cleanable the humor connected the level to destruct the evidence. A mendacious lawsuit was registered against the 2 by the policemen, the CBI added.
