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Policemen Sentenced to Death for Torture Deaths
6 Apr
Summary
- Nine police personnel received death sentences for the 2020 custodial deaths.
- Trader P Jayaraj and his son J Benicks died after severe assault.
- The verdict followed a six-year legal battle after the incident.
Nine police personnel have been sentenced to death by the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai for the 2020 custodial deaths of trader P Jayaraj and his son J Benicks. The father and son died in June 2020 after enduring severe assault in police custody at the Sattankulam police station in Tamil Nadu.
Investigations revealed that Jayaraj and Benicks were wrongfully confined and assaulted through the night to 'teach them a lesson'. Their blood-stained clothes were discarded, and evidence was allegedly destroyed. The CBI filed chargesheets in 2020 and 2022 against the accused policemen.
The case gained significant attention, becoming a test for police accountability in Tamil Nadu. Protests erupted across the state following the deaths, prompting the Madras High Court to take suo motu cognisance and order judicial and CBI inquiries.
After a trial that spanned nearly six years, the court found all nine convicted policemen guilty of double murder. The sentencing aims to provide justice for the victims, marking a crucial step in addressing custodial violence.
