Tamil Nadu has once again been shaken by news of custodial violence. Sabari Varman, a 35-year-old specially abled man from Eethankadu near South Thamaraikulam in Kanyakumari district, died on Monday (July 13), allegedly after being thrashed in judicial custody at the state’s Nagercoil District Jail on Sunday (July 12) night.
The ill-fated small shop owner, arrested on July 9 for allegedly selling banned gutka and tobacco products, was declared dead on arrival at Kanyakumari Government Medical College Hospital after prison authorities reported he suddenly fell ill. His family alleged custodial torture, staged protests including a road blockade, and demanded a thorough investigation, refusing to accept the initial claims of natural causes or sudden cardiac arrest.
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Video footage has surfaced, showing Sabari sitting in a healthy condition at the police station, which has made the custodial torture allegations stronger. His wife has demanded that the government provide a job to at least one member of their family and that a Central Bureau of Investigation probe be ordered into her husband’s death.
What the police said
According to police, Varman misbehaved with other inmates in the jail late at night. He allegedly picked up a fight with others the next morning, too. It was then that he was assaulted by some other prisoners in the jail. One jail official, Jegan, also allegedly tied him up and beat him. According to the police, they had the CCTV footage of the assault.
Varman’s family has refused to accept his body and continues protesting outside the hospital, demanding justice and accountability. Their agitation shows no signs of abating, with their calls for a thorough probe and compensation resonating across Tamil Nadu.
Eleven people were arrested in connection with the death, including three prison officials — Chief Head Warden N. Suresh, Grade-I Warder N Jegan and Grade-II Warder J Shivakumar. All of them were suspended. The rest, all prisoners, are aged between 19 and 40.
Post-mortem of Savari’s body, which was video recorded, revealed 19 injuries, including multiple abrasions and contusions on both elbows and forearms, a fractured right metacarpal bone in the hand with associated bleeding, among others.
The findings also pointed to blunt force trauma and possible restraint, consistent with the assault in the district jail. The deceased man’s medical checkups before he was produced before the magistrate and lodged in custody had noted no visible injuries, raising serious questions about what transpired inside the prison.
A special investigation team examined CCTV footage from the jail, recorded statements from inmates and staff members, and gathered forensic evidence. This led to the arrests. The version that the police presented, saying the trio assaulted Sabari, contradicted earlier claims that he was well treated.
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While the arrests were welcomed as a step towards accountability, Sabari’s family sought further action, including against police personnel, alleging bribes were demanded prior to the incident.
TN’s disturbing custodial deaths
The Nagercoil case joins a troubling pattern of custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu. Data compiled by human rights watchdog People’s Watch showed 39 such deaths between May 2021 and March 2026 — 21 tied to interrogation-related torture, 15 in judicial custody, and three in hospitals post police action. Chennai, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Villupuram, and Ramanathapuram recur frequently, with cases involving alleged beatings, torture-linked suicides, and post-remand deaths. Nagercoil, under the current Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government, has renewed scrutiny of police and prison oversight failures.
Opposition targets Vijay government
Political reactions were swift and sharp. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vanathi Srinivasan condemned the death, calling police stations “torture chambers” and expressing shock that a differently abled youth in apparently good health died mysteriously in custody.
Citing the post-mortem’s confirmation of injuries, she drew parallels to spine-chilling cases like that in Sathankulam and asked what explanation Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who oversees the police department, would offer. She demanded a transparent probe, strict action against those responsible, and justice and compensation for the family.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) Legal Wing State Joint Secretary and former state MLA I Paranthamen went further, demanding a CBI investigation and saying his party was ready to move court over it. He accused the ruling dispensation of letting the law be “mocked” since taking power, pointing to at least four custodial deaths in the government’s first 60 days. He questioned whether the chief minister truly controlled the police force, criticised his prolonged silence and absence from press interactions, and urged journalists to press the leadership directly for answers.
Other opposition parties broadly echoed these criticisms, demanding independent inquiries and contrasting Vijay’s current silence with his past statements while in opposition.
Also read: Nine cops convicted in 2020 Tamil Nadu custodial torture-death case
DMK MP Kanimozhi visited Eethankadu and met Sabari’s family. She later said the victim, a law-abiding citizen, was picked up without a clear reason, briefly released, then remanded to jail before being declared brought dead at the hospital. The post-mortem found injuries in 19 places, the senior leader said, indicating he had been brutally beaten. She criticised the government’s inaction and the absence of any minister consoling the family, and demanded a CBI probe and compensation.
State Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar said stringent action would follow, noting that those involved have already been arrested with departmental and legal proceedings underway.
TN’s endless custodial tragedies
Varman’s family has refused to accept his body and continues protesting outside the hospital, demanding justice and accountability. Their agitation shows no signs of abating, with their calls for a thorough probe and compensation resonating across Tamil Nadu.
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