Sathankulam case: Interim bail granted to accused

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has granted three-day interim bail to one of the accused, Vail, who is jailed in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case reported in 2020 in Thoothukudi district. Veilumuthu, the incarcerated police officer, filed a petition seeking bail to attend the puberty function of his daughter, scheduled for Thursday. In his plea, he assured the court that he would comply with all conditions imposed by the court and requested bail for the occasion. Justice M. Dhandapani, after considering the bail plea, granted bail to Veilumuthu with the condition that he must leave the prison premises at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and return by 6 p.m. on Saturday. The Sathankulam custodial deaths case dates back to June 2020, when P Jeyaraj and his son J Bennix died allegedly due to torture by the Sathankulam police in Thoothukudi district. Jeyaraj was arrested on June 19, 2020, by the Sathankulam police on charges of violating Covid lockdown rules. Tragically, he passed away on June 22, 2020, reportedly due to physical torture inflicted by the police. Bennix, upon learning of his father’s arrest, approached the Sathankulam police station and was also subjected to similar torture, leading to his demise on the morning of June 23, 2020.