Madurai: A Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in Madurai has granted three days’ CBI custody of three more police personnel, arrested in connection with the custodial deaths of a father-son duo at Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district of Tamilnadu, last month.
The CBI Special Crime Unit-II, New Delhi probing the case, filed a petition before the CJM T V Hemanandakumar, seeking five days custody of Head Constable Saamadurai, constables Chelladurai and Veyil Muthu for inquiry.
When all the three, who were lodged in Madurai Central Prison were produced before the court, the CJM granted the CBI the custody of three policemen and directed the Investigating agency to produce them before the court on 23 July evening.
Later, the CBI officials took them to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) for medical checkup after which they were taken to the CBI office at Athikulam in the city for interrogation.
The CBI had earlier taken custody of five police personnel, including Sridhar, suspended Inspector and Station House Officer of the Sathankulam station, Sub-Inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan, and constables Murugan and Muthuraj.
Special Sub Inspector of Police, Pauldurai and constable Francis Thomas, who were also arrested in the case, were yet to be taken into custody by the CBI.
Though the CBI had initially registered two FIRs under Section 176 (A)(1) of CrPC, the case was subsequently altered to Secs 302 (murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) and 109 (abetment) of the IPC.
On 19 June, Jayaraj and and his son Bennicks were picked up for questioning by the Sathankulam police for allegedly violating corona lockdown rules by keeping their mobile accessories shop open beyond permissible hours.
An FIR was filed against them, the same day. They were allegedly brutally attacked by the police while in custody, leading to their deaths. While Bennicks fell ill and died at the Kovilpatti government hospital on June 22 night, Jayaraj died the next day morning.
The CB-CID, which was entrusted by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court to begin an immediate investigation till the CBI takes over the case, had arrested Sridhar, Raghu Ganesh, Balakrishnan, Murugan and Muthuraj.
Based on their confession, the CB-CID arrested five more policemen, including Special Sub Inspector Pauldurai, constables Chelladurai, Saamadurai, Veyilumuthu and Francis Thomas in connection with the case and all of them were placed under suspension.