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All the 9 constabulary unit convicted successful the 2020 Sattankulam custodial deaths case, successful which trader P. Jayaraj (58) and his lad J. Benicks (31) died successful constabulary custody, were awarded decease condemnation by the First Additional District and Sessions Court successful Madurai connected Monday (April 6, 2026).
EXPLAINED | What is the Sattankulam father-son custodial torture decease lawsuit each about?
On March 23, 2026, the tribunal convicted each 9 constabulary personnel successful the lawsuit but had said that the quantum of their condemnation would beryllium pronounced later.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the counsel representing the household of Jayaraj connected Thursday (April 2, 2026) sought maximum punishment for the 9 policemen convicted by the proceedings tribunal successful the case. The counsels submitted earlier the First Additional District and Sessions Court successful Madurai that the lawsuit fell wrong the class of the rarest of uncommon cases and maximum punishment should beryllium awarded to the convicts. “It was a heinous transgression and the traders were tortured each done the nighttime astatine the Sattankulam constabulary station,” the counsel pointed out.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance of the transgression and passed a slew of directions. The past AIADMK authorities transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In all, 10 constabulary unit were named arsenic accused successful the case. One of them died aft contracting COVID-19. The CBI has prosecuted 9 constabulary personnel.
The CBI filed a complaint expanse connected September 25, 2020 and followed it up with a supplementary complaint expanse 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 was besides an accused. But helium died during proceedings aft contracting COVID-19.
The CBI said Jayaraj and Benicks were subjected to brutal torture by the policemen, 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 CBI said the probe revealed Jayaraj was picked from his store adjacent the Kamaraj statue astatine 7.30 p.m. connected June 19, 2020, and lodged astatine the Sattankulam constabulary presumption successful pursuance of a transgression conspiracy hatched by the accused. On information, Benicks rushed to the 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 torture continued each done the night. 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 the evidence. A mendacious lawsuit was registered against the two, the CBI added. In the supplementary complaint sheet, the CBI submitted a study connected the introspection of video footage disposable successful the case.
The Madurai Bench took into relationship a pistillate caput constable’s statement, the aesculapian report, and the judicial magistrate’s report. It said it had recovered prima facie worldly to publication the constabulary unit progressive successful the custodial decease for murder.
