Tamil Nadu Court Holds 9 Policemen Guilty Of Torturing Father-Son To Death | Representative Photo
Chennai: Six years after one of India’s most shocking custodial death cases shook civil society, a court in Tamil Nadu on Monday convicted nine police personnel in connection with the torture and deaths of a father and son during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai found all nine accused guilty in the case involving trader P Jayaraj and his son J Benicks. Presiding judge G. Muthukumaran said the quantum of sentence will be pronounced on March 30. Another policeman, who was arraigned in the case, had died during trial after he contradicted COVID-19. The case dates back to June 2020, when Jayaraj was picked up by police from his mobile phone shop in Sattankulam for allegedly violating lockdown rules. According to investigators, the detention stemmed from a minor altercation the previous night between police personnel and workers near his shop. When his son Benicks rushed to the police station seeking his release, he too was detained.
What followed was a night of brutal custodial torture. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which later took over the probe on the directions of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), found that both men were beaten for hours, sustaining severe injuries. They were forced to clean their own blood, while efforts were allegedly made to destroy evidence, including tampering with CCTV records and disposing of blood-stained clothes.
Despite their condition, the two were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. Within days, both developed serious complications and were admitted to hospital in Kovilpatti. Benicks died on June 22 due to haemorrhage, and Jayaraj died the next day after complaining of chest pain.The deaths triggered nationwide outrage, with human rights groups condemning police brutality and raising concerns over systemic failures. The Madras High Court, through its Madurai Bench, initiated suo motu proceedings on June 24, 2020, ordered a judicial inquiry, and later facilitated the transfer of the investigation to the CBI, citing lack of confidence in the local police. Also Watch:
Court-monitored proceedings revealed attempts by police personnel to obstruct the inquiry. A judicial magistrate reported intimidation and non-cooperation at the police station, while a woman constable’s testimony corroborated the torture allegations.The CBI chargesheet concluded that the accused had engaged in a criminal conspiracy and inflicted injuries “sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death.” It also found that the initial allegation of lockdown violation was unfounded.The trial, marked by delays and prolonged cross-examinations, stretched over several years. Multiple bail pleas by the accused were rejected.