The First Additional Sessions Court in Madurai on Monday convicted all nine police personnel accused in the custodial deaths of a father and son in Sathankulam [CBI Vs Sridhar & Ors]..The Court held that the deaths were the result of custodial violence and amounted to murder.The court, presided by Judge G Muthukumaran, found that the deaths of Jayaraj and his son Bennix were caused by custodial assault and not due to any pre-existing medical conditions as claimed by the defence. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on March 30. A copy of the judgment is yet to be made available. .The case traces back to June 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown when Jayaraj and his son Bennix, who ran a mobile shop in Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, were taken into custody for allegedly keeping their shop open beyond permitted hours.What began as a minor lockdown violation escalated into one of the most widely reported custodial death cases in India.According to the prosecution, tensions began on June 18, 2020, when police personnel allegedly threatened individuals gathered near Jayaraj’s shop during lockdown enforcement. Witnesses later stated that Jayaraj had openly criticised police behaviour, questioning their high-handedness in dealing with the public.The next day, police personnel allegedly searched for and identified Jayaraj, before forcibly taking him into custody. Witnesses deposed that officers were actively asking locals to identify the person who had spoken against the police the previous day.The prosecution case further alleged that both Jayaraj and Bennix were subjected to brutal assault inside the Sathankulam police station, leading to their deaths..The defence, however, presented a sharply different version of events during trial.It argued that the arrest was triggered solely by a violation of COVID-19 restrictions and a verbal altercation between the victims and police personnel. Statements attributed to the victims before their death were relied upon to suggest that the police had taken them into custody for keeping their shop open beyond permitted hours.The accused also disputed the prosecution’s theory of conspiracy, contending that there was no evidence of any prior agreement or “meeting of minds” among the police personnel to target the victims..Following widespread public outrage and intervention by the Madras High Court, the investigation was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).The agency filed a detailed 2,027-page chargesheet against nine accused police personnel, including Inspector Sridhar and Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghuganesh, alleging offences including murder and destruction of evidence.The trial before the Madurai court spanned over five years, with over 50 witnesses examined and extensive documentary and forensic evidence placed on record.During the proceedings, the CBI also sought to strengthen its case by attempting to introduce a charge of criminal conspiracy, arguing that the sequence of events showed coordinated action by the accused. The defence opposed this, maintaining that the evidence, at best, indicated motive but not conspiracy..In its final verdict, the Court held that the deaths were not due to natural causes despite Jayaraj’s prior health conditions.Relying on medical and forensic evidence, the Court concluded that both victims died due to injuries sustained in custody and categorised the offence as murder.All nine accused police personnel were convicted..The Court will hear arguments on sentencing and pronounce the quantum of punishment on March 30..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.
