A court in Madurai district on Monday awarded the death penalty to nine policemen in connection with the custodial deaths of trader P Jayaraj and his son J Benicks in Thoothukudi, a case that had sparked nationwide outrage in 2020.
The convicted include Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghu Ganesh, and police personnel Murugan, Samadurai, Muthuraja, Chelladurai, Thomas Francis, and Veilumuthu.
Court calls it ‘abuse of authority’
While delivering the verdict, the court described the incident as a clear “case of abuse of authority.” It added that the judgment should not “instil fear among police,” noting that many officers serve honestly.
The court made strong remarks on the brutality involved. “Father and son stripped, ruthlessly assaulted... Heart shudders reading about it,” it said. It further observed that the victims were “stripped and ruthlessly assaulted in front of each other as an act of vendetta,” adding again that “the heart shudders on reading about it.”
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The court also stressed that those in public service cannot justify such acts. “Those who receive public money as salary cannot cite stress as a reason,” it said. It pointed out that without the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court’s continuous monitoring, “the truth would have been buried.”
‘Rarest of rare’ case
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over the probe, had termed the incident a “rarest of rare” case. It sought either the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.
The prosecution argued that the severity of the crime, backed by three eyewitness accounts, shocked the collective conscience. It said the victims were subjected to severe beatings with weapons, amounting to a grave human rights violation.
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Incident and investigation
The case dates back to June 19, 2020, when Jayaraj and Benicks, who owned a mobile shop, were arrested for allegedly violating lockdown timing rules, a claim later found to be false. They were taken to the Sathankulam police station and later remanded. Both died within days.
Family members alleged overnight torture, citing injuries, including rectal bleeding. During the investigation, a woman constable reportedly confirmed the assault and mentioned blood stains inside the station.
The probe also faced hurdles, including missing CCTV footage that had not been preserved. Over 100 witnesses were examined during the trial, which continued for more than five years.
