The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sentenced nine Tamil Nadu police personnel to death for the custodial torture and murder of trader P. Jayaraj (59) and his son J. Benniks (31) in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, in June 2020.
The landmark judgment, delivered after a six-year-long trial, marks one of the harshest punishments ever handed down in a custodial violence case in India.
The court described the incident as a “rarest of rare” crime, citing extreme brutality and abuse of power by the police. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which probed the case, argued that the torture was deliberate, sustained through the night, and intended to inflict maximum pain. The bench agreed, ruling that the officers had grossly violated their duty to uphold the law and protect citizens.
The convicted officers include Inspector S. Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors P. Raghu Ganesh and K. Balakrishnan, Head Constables S. Murugan and A. Samadurai, and Constables M. Muthuraj, S. Chelladurai, X. Thomas Francis, and S. Veilumuthu. A tenth accused, Special Sub-Inspector Pauldurai, died of COVID-19 during the trial.
The father-son duo was arrested for allegedly keeping their shop open beyond lockdown hours. What followed was a night of brutal custodial torture that led to their deaths, sparking nationwide outrage and protests against police excesses. The case became a rallying point for human rights advocates demanding stronger safeguards against custodial violence.
This verdict is expected to have far-reaching implications for police accountability in India. Legal experts say it sends a strong message that custodial torture will not be tolerated and that law enforcement officers will be held to the highest standards of justice.
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