Court Sentences Nine TN Police Officers To Death Over Custodial Torture
Nine Tamil Nadu policemen sentenced to death for torturing father and son in custody.
A court in Madurai has sentenced nine Tamil Nadu policemen to death in a landmark case involving the brutal custodial torture and deaths of trader P. Jayaraj and his son J. Bennix in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, six years ago.
The incident unfolded on June 19, 2020, when the father-son duo, who ran a mobile phone shop, were arrested for allegedly keeping their store open past permitted hours during the COVID-19 lockdown—a claim later proven false. Relatives reported relentless nighttime assaults at Sathankulam police station, resulting in severe injuries including rectal bleeding, after which the victims were remanded to Kovilpatti sub-jail despite their dire condition. Both succumbed to their injuries in hospital on June 22 and 23, sparking nationwide outrage over police brutality.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe from state authorities on Madras High Court orders, arresting 10 officers including an inspector, two sub-inspectors, and constables, charging them with murder alongside evidence tampering and abuse of authority. Earlier this year, the First Additional District and Sessions Court convicted all nine accused, emphasizing this as a "case of abuse of authority" while noting it wouldn't deter honest policing.
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Describing the assault as ruthless—stripping and beating the men till dawn—the court invoked rare capital punishment, a first for custodial death convictions in India at this scale. The CBI highlighted blood splatters across station walls as evidence of savagery, underscoring systemic failures during pandemic enforcement.
This verdict reignites debates on custodial violence, especially after prior convictions in March with sentencing deferred amid family appeals and CBI's push for maximum penalty. Victims' kin pursued justice relentlessly, transforming public grief into legal precedent against impunity.
The ruling reinforces accountability for law enforcers, potentially setting a deterrent benchmark nationwide while prompting reviews of police conduct protocols. Tamil Nadu officials face calls for broader reforms as the case closes a painful chapter.
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