Tamil Nadu: Death penalty for 9 cops in Sathankulam custodial deaths case

In a landmark verdict, a court in Tamil Nadu on 6 April sentenced nine police personnel to death in the 2020 Sathankulam custodial deaths case, holding them guilty of the brutal killing of a father-son duo.

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

Death penalty and compensation

The court awarded capital punishment to all nine convicted personnel for the murder of P Jayaraj and his son J Bennix.

In addition, the court imposed a total fine of Rs 1.40 crore, directing that the amount be paid as compensation to the victims’ family.

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

Court’s observations

While pronouncing the sentence, the court underscored the gravity of custodial violence.

“The police are meant to protect the common man, and when they themselves become perpetrators of brutality, the law must act as a deterrent,” the judge observed.

The court also noted that the killing of both father and son had “uprooted the very foundation of a family”, warranting the harshest punishment.

The incident dates back to June 2020 in Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, when Jayaraj and Bennix were taken into custody for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond permitted hours during COVID-19 restrictions.

They were allegedly subjected to severe custodial assault and later died in hospital.

Probe and trial

Following widespread public outrage, the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) took suo motu cognisance of the case, which was subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

During the trial, 105 witnesses were examined over nearly five years.

Of the 10 initially accused, one — special sub-inspector Pauldurai — died during the course of the trial due to health reasons.

The verdict is among the rare instances where capital punishment has been awarded in a custodial death case, highlighting judicial intolerance towards abuse of power by law enforcement personnel.