Police’s brutal act of revenge: Tamil Nadu orders CBI probe into Thoothukudi custodial death
Salem, Tamil Nadu (VOM News): The Tamil Nadu government has decided to trasfer the probe into the death of a father-son duo, alleged victims of police torture in Tuticorin district, to the CBI, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said. The government's decision will be informed to the Madras High Court, which is seized of the matter, and secure its approval before transferring the case to the central agency.
Even as two FIRs have been filed, no officer has been booked for murder charges. Following the outrage and protests, four police officers including two sub-inspectors have been placed under suspension. The station inspector has been transferred. A judicial inquiry is in progress, post mortem report has been submitted to the Madras High Court in a sealed cover.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the victim family. DMK’s Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi declared a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family.
The death of a father and son due to alleged custodial torture in Sathankulam town near Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu has sparked rage across the state. Victims were traders belonging to the Nadar community, a socially and politically powerful community in southern Tamil Nadu.
P Jeyaraj, 62, who worked at his mobile shop at Sathankulam town, was taken in custody on June 19 evening. Jayaraj and his son Fennix, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with their relatives alleging they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by police personnel earlier. The incident has triggered a national furore, leading to the suspension of four policemen, including two sub-inspectors.
Jeyaraj allegedly made some critical remarks about a police patrol team on June 18 for insisting shop owners to shut shops early for lockdown rules. An auto driver had informed police about remarks and the police team had come the next day to take him in custody. After an agitated police team had taken Jeyaraj in custody, his son, J Bennix, 32, followed the police team to the station.
At the Sathankulam police station, a senior police officer said, Bennix saw his father being physically harassed by an officer. An agitated Bennix questioned the officer, tried to stop the officer or pushed him to protect his father in his 60s. “It had provoked the police team, they thrashed both father and son for hours. There were two sub-inspectors and two constables in the torture team. A total of 13 officers were there at the station during the incident, including volunteers part of Friends of Police,” the officer said.
June 20. Jeyaraj’s family who waited outside the station till midnight got to see the father and son in the morning in “bad shape.” They were taken to the Sathankulam government hospital. Jeyaraj’s veshti and Bennix’s pants were fully soaked in blood. They had to keep changing lungis at the hospital due to severe bleeding. Policemen asked the family to bring “dark colour lungis”. After three hours at the hospital, they were then taken to Sathankulam magistrate court.
Joseph, Jeyaraj’s brother in law who witnessed the scene, said the magistrate waved his hand from the first floor of the building as the police team stood outside. Both were sent on remand to Kovilpatti Sub Jail in a few moments. The family had no news about the father and son till June 22 evening, when they were shifted to the nearby government hospital. Due to continuous bleeding and severe external and internal injuries from alleged lock up torture, Bennix died late evening on June 22, and Jeyaraj died in the wee hours on June 23.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the victim family. DMK’s Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi declared a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family.
The death of a father and son due to alleged custodial torture in Sathankulam town near Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu has sparked rage across the state. Victims were traders belonging to the Nadar community, a socially and politically powerful community in southern Tamil Nadu.
P Jeyaraj, 62, who worked at his mobile shop at Sathankulam town, was taken in custody on June 19 evening. Jayaraj and his son Fennix, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with their relatives alleging they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by police personnel earlier. The incident has triggered a national furore, leading to the suspension of four policemen, including two sub-inspectors.
Jeyaraj allegedly made some critical remarks about a police patrol team on June 18 for insisting shop owners to shut shops early for lockdown rules. An auto driver had informed police about remarks and the police team had come the next day to take him in custody. After an agitated police team had taken Jeyaraj in custody, his son, J Bennix, 32, followed the police team to the station.
At the Sathankulam police station, a senior police officer said, Bennix saw his father being physically harassed by an officer. An agitated Bennix questioned the officer, tried to stop the officer or pushed him to protect his father in his 60s. “It had provoked the police team, they thrashed both father and son for hours. There were two sub-inspectors and two constables in the torture team. A total of 13 officers were there at the station during the incident, including volunteers part of Friends of Police,” the officer said.
June 20. Jeyaraj’s family who waited outside the station till midnight got to see the father and son in the morning in “bad shape.” They were taken to the Sathankulam government hospital. Jeyaraj’s veshti and Bennix’s pants were fully soaked in blood. They had to keep changing lungis at the hospital due to severe bleeding. Policemen asked the family to bring “dark colour lungis”. After three hours at the hospital, they were then taken to Sathankulam magistrate court.
Joseph, Jeyaraj’s brother in law who witnessed the scene, said the magistrate waved his hand from the first floor of the building as the police team stood outside. Both were sent on remand to Kovilpatti Sub Jail in a few moments. The family had no news about the father and son till June 22 evening, when they were shifted to the nearby government hospital. Due to continuous bleeding and severe external and internal injuries from alleged lock up torture, Bennix died late evening on June 22, and Jeyaraj died in the wee hours on June 23.
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