Madurai, Apr 6:
A special court sentenced all nine police officers convicted in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case to death. The convicts—Sridhar, Raghuganesh, Murugan, Balakrishnan, Muthuraj, Chelladurai, Thoman Francis, Samudurai, and Veyilmuthu—were held responsible for the brutal deaths of father-son duo Jeyaraj (59) and Bennix (31) in 2020. In addition, Sridhar has been fined ₹15 lakh
The case revolves around the shocking custodial deaths that drew widespread outrage across the state. Following a thorough trial and detailed examination of evidence, the court found the accused guilty of committing a heinous crime.
On June 19, 2020, Jeyaraj and Bennix were taken into custody by Sathankulam police for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond permitted hours during the COVID-19 lockdown.
They were allegedly subjected to severe assault at the police station throughout the night and were remanded to Kovilpatti sub-jail the next day.
The court upheld the CBI’s findings that the duo was falsely implicated, beaten overnight, and their deaths were directly caused by injuries from sticks and rods, not by any pre-existing illnesses. While Jeyaraj had lung and heart issues, the court ruled that his death was a direct result of custodial torture. The court also noted attempts by the accused to tamper with records and obstruct the investigation.