A Madurai district court has described the Satankulam custodial deaths case as a “heinous crime” and said it has brought disrepute to the Tamil Nadu Police, according to the judgment copy that has now been released.
The case relates to the deaths of traders Jayaraj and his son Bennix from Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, who were allegedly beaten to death by police personnel. In the case, the Madurai I Additional Sessions Court judge Muthukumaran awarded the death penalty to nine policemen, including Inspector Sridhar and sub-inspectors Balakrishnan and Ragu Ganesh.
In the order, the court observed that the detention of Jayaraj and Bennix at the Sathankulam police station was illegal and that the assault was carried out as retaliation. It noted that the victims were unarmed and were allegedly restrained and tortured, calling the acts contrary to human dignity.
The court said the nature of the crime placed it in the “rarest of rare” category, adding that police have no right to assault detainees and that misuse of lawful authority for revenge cannot be condoned.
It also cautioned that awarding only a minimum punishment would send a dangerous message and could encourage future human rights violations, while noting that the Tamil Nadu Police otherwise has many capable and duty-bound officers and that the wrongdoing of a few tarnishes the force.
