Sathankulam custodial deaths: Nine police officers sentenced to death

Madurai: In a landmark judgment, a court on Monday, April 6, handed the death penalty to nine police personnel in the sensational 2020 Sathankulam custodial death case.

Father-son duo P Jayaraj and J Bennix were assaulted by the convicted policemen in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, for allegedly keeping their mobile shop open in violation of COVID-19 norms.

First Additional District and Sessions Judge G Muthukumaran classified the case as the rarest of rare, observing that those entrusted with protecting the public had committed a crime that shook the collective conscience of society.

The court sentenced all nine convicted police personnel to death for the murders of Jayaraj and Bennix.

The convicts include former inspector S Sridhar, former sub-inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghu Ganesh, and head constables Murugan and Saamidurai.

In addition to the capital punishment, the court imposed a combined fine of Rs 1.40 crore on the convicts to be paid as compensation to the victims’ family.

While pronouncing the quantum of sentence, the judge said the police are meant to protect the common man, and when they become the perpetrators of such brutality, the law must act as a deterrent.

It also noted that by killing both the father and the son at once, the police had uprooted the very foundation of a family.

The judge stressed that the punishment must be severe enough to ensure such horrors never recur.

The tragedy dates back to June 2020, when Jayaraj and Bennix were picked up for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond permitted hours. They were subjected to extreme physical assault while in custody, leading to their deaths at a hospital days later.

Following a massive public outcry, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court took notice of the case, which was eventually investigated by the CBI.

A total of 105 witnesses were examined over a five-year period. Of the initial 10 accused, special sub-inspector Pauldurai died during the trial due to health complications.