Custodial deaths spark national ire, no FIR on Tamil Nadu cops

CHENNAI: Condemnation of police for the deaths of P Jayaraj and his son J Beniks in judicial custody dominated social media and more complaints of police brutality against Covid curfew violators surfaced on Friday, but the state government is yet to act against those responsible for the assault on the two men.
No FIR has been registered against police personnel who tortured the father-son duo for violating Covid curfew in Sathankulam town, the government doctor who certified them as ‘fit’ for custody, the magistrate who remanded them, and the jail personnel who admitted them with bleeding injuries.
The Sathankulam police also stand accused of earlier this month killing a man picked up for questioning and the police at Kayalpattinam, also in Tuticorin district, are accused of damaging a curfew violator’s kidneys. Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan was among celebrities who took to social media to demand justice. Later in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condemned the police.
Even 24 hours after the post-mortem, the nature of injuries inflicted on Jayaraj and Beniks by the police is yet to be revealed. The FIR filed by the police claims the injuries were self-inflicted; that the two men rolled on the ground to hurt themselves. The Madurai bench of the Madras high court, which had taken suo motu note of the custodial deaths and called for a report, has now asked the government to provide yoga and psychological counselling for cops stressed because of the pandemic. The CM has said the government would comply with court orders, which are awaited