Chennai: In the wake of the Sathankulam custodial death case verdict, police personnel across Tamil Nadu have begun removing iron rods and plastic pipes from police stations, following directions from senior officials.
The Madurai I Additional Sessions Court awarded the death penalty to nine police personnel, including Inspector Sridhar and sub-inspectors Balakrishnan and Rahuganesh, in the case relating to the deaths of Jayaraj and his son Bennix from Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district.
The ruling has sent shockwaves through the police force, with some raising questions about whether similar punishments were awarded in cases where police personnel were killed in other incidents.
Officials said the verdict has prompted fresh instructions emphasising that assault is not an authorised method of interrogation. They noted that with advances in scientific investigation, there is no justification for using force to extract information.
As part of the tightened protocol, they said questioning should not be conducted in police stations without the supervision of inspectors and DSPs, and that police personnel should not even take up lathis without an inspector’s order.
