Thoothukudi custodial deaths: CBI files charge sheet naming 9 police personnel for torturing father, son

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet in opposition to 9 Tamil Nadu cops, together with then station home officer (SHO) of Sathankulam police station in Thoothukudi, for allegedly illegally choosing up and torturing P Jayaraj and J Bennicks all night time in June. The males died in hospital.

The cost sheet names former SHO of Sathankulam police station S Sridhar, two sub-inspectors Ok Balakrishnan and P Raghuganesh, two head constables S Murugan and A Samadurai, and 4 constables M Muthuraja, S Chelladurai, X Thomas Francis and Veyil Muthu for felony conspiracy, homicide, wrongful confinement, destruction of proof and levelling false costs. All 9 are presently lodged in jail. Sub-inspector Pauldurai, whom the company arrested in July and who died in jail because of Covid-19, has not been accused within the cost sheet however his function has been talked about within the alleged conspiracy, officers mentioned.

P Jayaraj (59) and his son J Bennicks (31) have been arrested on June 19 and lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail for protecting their cell phone store in the primary market of Sathankulam city open throughout a curfew imposed throughout the Covid-19-induced lockdown.

The father and son have been allegedly tortured throughout the police custody after which they have been admitted to the Kovilpatti authorities hospital on June 22. While Bennicks died the identical night time, Jayaraj breathed his final on the morning of June 23.

The incident had led to huge public outrage throughout the nation with demand of motion in opposition to the accused cops. The Tamil Nadu authorities ordered a CBI probe within the first week of July, after which a particular group was despatched to research the custodial dying.

CBI spokesperson R Ok Gaur mentioned, “A CBI team camped at Madurai and worked untiringly through Covid-19 pandemic.”

In reality, 9 CBI officers have been contaminated with Covid-19 whereas investigating the case.

Sharing particulars of cost sheet, Gaur mentioned, “The investigation revealed that the father-son duo were arrested on June 19, 2020 and tortured at the Sathankulam police station by the accused in the evening as well as in the intervening night, consequent to which both of them succumbed to the injuries and died in the intervening night of June 22 and 23”.

Officials who didn’t want to be named added that Sathankulam police station officers, “to cover up their misdeeds, not only destroyed the evidence of torture but also registered false cases against both the deceased on the allegations that father and son had not closed their mobile shop even after the permitted time and thereby violated general prohibitory orders.”

This officer added that function of others within the deaths in addition to subsequent cover-up is being additional investigated.