Bennix the mobile shop owner in Sathankulam, who along with his father Jayaraj, died in police custody allegedly due to physical torture, had a deep laceration measuring 20 x 25 centimetres on his buttocks and suffered breathlessness, disclosed sources at the Kovilpatti Government Headquarters Hospital.
Madurai: Tirunelveli Range DIG Praveen Kumar Abinapu when contacted on Saturday, said the postmortem examination report was awaited and added that based on the outcome of the magisterial inquiry, the FIR concerning the death of the father and son during judicial custody could be altered.
Bennix had walked with great difficulty and the ECG report showed a high heart rate. When a referral statement was made to shift Bennix to Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital, the police preferred to take him to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital for further treatment, sources disclosed to DT Next. Meanwhile, senior doctor Venkatesh of the Kovilpatti GH appeared before Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate Barathidasan for inquiry on Saturday. The doctor, however, declined to comment about the injuries of the deceased. In Chennai, The Tamil Nadu Senior Advocates Forum (TNSAF), comprising 130 designated senior counsels from the Madras HC has strongly condemned the police brutality against the father-son duo and have sought for swift steps in bringing the guilty to book.
Celebs, netizens raise voice against Sathankulam custodial deaths
Bennix had walked with great difficulty and the ECG report showed a high heart rate. When a referral statement was made to shift Bennix to Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital, the police preferred to take him to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital for further treatment, sources disclosed to DT Next. Meanwhile, senior doctor Venkatesh of the Kovilpatti GH appeared before Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate Barathidasan for inquiry on Saturday. The doctor, however, declined to comment about the injuries of the deceased. In Chennai, The Tamil Nadu Senior Advocates Forum (TNSAF), comprising 130 designated senior counsels from the Madras HC has strongly condemned the police brutality against the father-son duo and have sought for swift steps in bringing the guilty to book.
Celebs, netizens raise voice against Sathankulam custodial deaths
The news of custodial deaths created an outrage on social media platforms like Twitter, with the hashtag #JusticeForJayarajandBennix trending in the city and the State. Locals, influencers and celebrities have expressed their outrage on the topic alike. On Friday, radio jockey and playback singer Suchitra Ramadurai tweeted a now-viral video detailing the incident. In the video, she says, “I hate how every south Indian issue is just a south Indian issue because we don’t talk about it in English. So, this video is in English. These were hard-working, Tamil-speaking, lower middle-class people. Please share this one.”
Many have compared the alleged police brutality in Thoothukudi to Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, the USA, on May 25 this year. The incident in the US sparked nation-wide protests under the Black Lives Matter movement. “If you’ve spoken about the Western movement against oppression, but are choosing to overlook violence happening in our own country, just know that I have no respect for you,” a Twitter user posted.