Rajinikanth condemns Sattankulam custodial deaths

After being criticised for not condemning the Sattankulam custodial deaths of P. Jayaraj and J. Benicks in Thoothukudi, actor Rajinikanth on Wednesday said that those responsible should be held accountable.

In a social media post, the actor said that he was shocked at the incidents that have unfolded after the deaths of the father and son due to police brutality came to light. “After killing the father and son by torturing them and facing severe opposition, the way some police officers have spoken to the Magistrate is shocking,” he said. “All those responsible should be punished and they should not be allowed to walk free,” he said.

Mr. Rajinikanth previously faced severe criticism in 2018 for his comments that were seen as disparaging the protests and supporting police action against those who protested against the Sterlite Copper Plant in Thoothukudi when 13 people who took part in anti-Sterlite protests were killed in police firing.

While his fans hash-tagged his post, the actor’s decision to accompany his statement with a photograph where he is seen “angry” led to snarky comments and trolling by his critics on Twitter.