TUTICORIN: In a suspected case of custodial murder, two men who were incarcerated at the Sathankulam police lock-up for the entire night on Friday died within hours of each other on Monday night. They were held for keeping their shop open beyond permitted hours during the virus curfew in Tuticorin district
Relatives and friends of the father-son duo, P Jayaraj, 58, and J Bennix, 31, alleged they were brutally assaulted by the Sathankulam police overnight before they were sent to the Kovilpatti sub-jail on Saturday. Jail sources said Bennix had injuries on his buttocks and knees and Jayaraj had injuries to his knees when they were brought there.
At the jail, Bennix complained of chest pain around 7.30pm on Monday and was taken to the Kovilpatti general hospital where he died soon after admission. His father developed fever around 10.30pm and was taken to the same hospital, where he died early on Tuesday.
Agitated traders of Sathankulam town downed shutters and staged a protest accusing the police of custodial brutality. Two sub-inspectors have been placed under suspension and an autopsy will be held on Wednesday
The trouble started on Friday night, when police told Jayaraj who was manning his son’s shop that sells mobile phones and accessories to shut and asked the crowd to disperse. The victims’ realtives said Jayaraj picked an argument with the cops, one of whom hit him. Bennix who had arrived on the scene by then got into a scuffle with the police when his father was assaulted, they said. The two were then taken to the police station where, the relatives alleged, the two were assaulted all night before being produced before the local magistrate who remanded them in judicial custody. They were then taken to Kovilpatti sub-jail
The First Information Report (FIR) in Sathankulam police station against the father and son says they rolled on the ground and injured themselves and shows the time of occurrence of this incident as well as time of lodging the complaint in the police station 1 km away as 9.15 pm. The complaint lodged by head constable S Murugan stated that he and constable Muthuraj were on rounds to prevent the spread of Covid-19 when they saw the shop of the accused was open beyond the permitted time. There were a few others with the father and son but they left the place after the police told them to avoid crowding. “The father and son used abusive language and also rolled on the ground, in which they were injured. They threatened to kill us as we insisted they leave,” Murugan’s complaint stated and added that the duo was brought to the station.
After their death, police said the two had a history of heart ailments and were under medication. Their kin denied this and said the two men had no health problems.
On Jayaraj’s widow Selvarani’s plea, the Madras high court has ordered directed that a team of three doctors perform the post-mortem at the Tirunelveli GH,, and that the procedure be videographed and a report submitted in court.
“Autopsy will be conducted in the presence of the judicial magistrate on Wednesday and it will be videographed. Only after autopsy the cause of death will be known,” Superintendent of Police (SP) of Tuticorin district Arun Balagopalan told TOI. Police presence was stepped up at Sathankulam and Kovilpatti.
Tiruchendur MLA and DMK south district secretary Anitha R Radhakrishnan and other elected representatives took part in the protest, following which collector Sandeep Nanduri and the SP conducted talks with the protesters in the afternoon.
The collector said two sub inspectors against whom the protesters made allegations were placed under suspension.
Traders Shutdown
President of the Tamil Nadu Vaingar Sangangalin Peravai (federation of traders' associations) T Vellaiyan announced complete closure of shops across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to condemn the police atrocity that claimed the lives of two traders at Sathankulam. Political leaders and rights activists too condemned the brutal incident and sought justice for the victims and stringent action against the police personnel concerned.
Relatives and friends of the father-son duo, P Jayaraj, 58, and J Bennix, 31, alleged they were brutally assaulted by the Sathankulam police overnight before they were sent to the Kovilpatti sub-jail on Saturday. Jail sources said Bennix had injuries on his buttocks and knees and Jayaraj had injuries to his knees when they were brought there.
At the jail, Bennix complained of chest pain around 7.30pm on Monday and was taken to the Kovilpatti general hospital where he died soon after admission. His father developed fever around 10.30pm and was taken to the same hospital, where he died early on Tuesday.
Agitated traders of Sathankulam town downed shutters and staged a protest accusing the police of custodial brutality. Two sub-inspectors have been placed under suspension and an autopsy will be held on Wednesday
The trouble started on Friday night, when police told Jayaraj who was manning his son’s shop that sells mobile phones and accessories to shut and asked the crowd to disperse. The victims’ realtives said Jayaraj picked an argument with the cops, one of whom hit him. Bennix who had arrived on the scene by then got into a scuffle with the police when his father was assaulted, they said. The two were then taken to the police station where, the relatives alleged, the two were assaulted all night before being produced before the local magistrate who remanded them in judicial custody. They were then taken to Kovilpatti sub-jail
The First Information Report (FIR) in Sathankulam police station against the father and son says they rolled on the ground and injured themselves and shows the time of occurrence of this incident as well as time of lodging the complaint in the police station 1 km away as 9.15 pm. The complaint lodged by head constable S Murugan stated that he and constable Muthuraj were on rounds to prevent the spread of Covid-19 when they saw the shop of the accused was open beyond the permitted time. There were a few others with the father and son but they left the place after the police told them to avoid crowding. “The father and son used abusive language and also rolled on the ground, in which they were injured. They threatened to kill us as we insisted they leave,” Murugan’s complaint stated and added that the duo was brought to the station.
After their death, police said the two had a history of heart ailments and were under medication. Their kin denied this and said the two men had no health problems.
On Jayaraj’s widow Selvarani’s plea, the Madras high court has ordered directed that a team of three doctors perform the post-mortem at the Tirunelveli GH,, and that the procedure be videographed and a report submitted in court.
“Autopsy will be conducted in the presence of the judicial magistrate on Wednesday and it will be videographed. Only after autopsy the cause of death will be known,” Superintendent of Police (SP) of Tuticorin district Arun Balagopalan told TOI. Police presence was stepped up at Sathankulam and Kovilpatti.
Tiruchendur MLA and DMK south district secretary Anitha R Radhakrishnan and other elected representatives took part in the protest, following which collector Sandeep Nanduri and the SP conducted talks with the protesters in the afternoon.
The collector said two sub inspectors against whom the protesters made allegations were placed under suspension.
Traders Shutdown
President of the Tamil Nadu Vaingar Sangangalin Peravai (federation of traders' associations) T Vellaiyan announced complete closure of shops across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to condemn the police atrocity that claimed the lives of two traders at Sathankulam. Political leaders and rights activists too condemned the brutal incident and sought justice for the victims and stringent action against the police personnel concerned.
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