Thoothukudi: Shops across Tamilnadu were not opened today, seeking justice to thedeaths of a 58-year-old man and his son who were under the judicial custody, allegedly due to police torture.
Meanwhile, the autopy of the duo will be conducted today by a special team of doctors and the entire process will be videographed. The Madras High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the case.
The deceased were identified as Jayaraj and his son Bennix (31), who were running a mobile shop at Sathankulam.
The police booked a case against them for keeping their shop open till late in the evening on 19 June in violation of curfew rules. Bennix entered into an altercation with the police at Sathankulam police station, when cops allegedly attacked Jayaraj during the interrogation.
Bennix reportedly pushed a sub-inspector of police after which the police registered a case against the father-son duo under various sections of the IPC, including 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty). They were produced before the judicial magistrate on June 20 and were lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail in judicial custody.
Jayaraj and Bennix fell ill in the jail on Monday. Both of them were rushed to Kovilpatti government hospital, where Bennix died of cardiac arrest on Monday night, while Jayaraj died Tuesday morning.
Agitated over the deaths, the relatives of the deceased and traders resorted to road-roko agitation at Sathankulam old bus stand area, this morning accusing that police excess resulted in the death of Jayaraj and Bennix.
Traders downed their shutters in Sathankulam demanding stern action against the police personnel responsible for their deaths. Tiruchendur DMK MLA Anitha Radhakrishnan met the protesting traders and expressed his party’s solidarity with them.
A large number of police personnel were deployed in and around Sathankulam owing to the tense situation.