The custodial killing of 60-year-old man Jayaraj P and his 31-year-old son Benicks in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin due to allegedly horrific torture by police, has triggered protests across Sattankulam town and the whole state with people asking for responsible cops to be punished. Madras High Court has directed the police to submit a report in the matter, on Friday.
According to reports, P Jayaraj who was a timber trader and his son Bennix who used to run a mobile phone shop, last Friday, were at their shop. The police came and picked up Jayaraj for keeping the shop open beyond permissible limit during the Coronavirus lockdown. Police was verbally abusing Jairaj, his son Benicks appealed to them to release his father. The cops then assaulted both of them and took them to the Santhakulam police station.
Their relatives alleged that both the father and son were brutally assaulted at the Sathankulam police station by police personnel.
“While the police brutally assaulted Bennix and inserted a baton into his anus that triggered uncontrolled bleeding, they smashed Jayaraj and kicked him on his chest multiple times with their shoes. We saw him bleeding profusely even as he was in police custody at Sattankulam police station,” The Hindu quoted the relatives of Bennix as saying.
The victims passed away last Monday and Tuesday at the hospital after staying in jail for some time, as they were sent there after remaining in judicial custody.
Ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK on Friday announced a solatium of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.
DMK president MK Stalin said in a statement, “The alleged brutal assault on the two men days ago by police was a result of the AIADMK government allowing them to take law into their own hands at a time when they have to ensure the safety of the public during the lockdown.”
Stalin asked who gave the Sathankulam police the permission to carry out the attack on the two just because they delayed closing their mobile phone shop during the lockdown period and said that the Chief Minister K Palaniswami should take moral responsibility for the deaths, reported news agency IANS.
While the DMK MP from Tuticorin district, Kanimozhi demanded an inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission into the deaths. She had handed over a cheque for Rs 25 lakh to the family on Friday.
In a joint statement, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam said on behalf of the party that the two deaths were saddening and unfortunate and announced Rs 25 lakh to the bereaved kin.
But CM Palaniswami, who handles the police department did not speak on the alleged torture.
The Tamil Nadu government too had announced Rs 10 lakh solatium each to the families of Jayaraj and Benicks and government jobs to one family member of each deceased.
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has taken the case had since ordered videotaping of the post-mortems.
Four policemen, including two sub-inspectors allegedly responsible for the deaths have been suspended while the Inspector of Sathankulam has been kept under compulsory waiting.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, took to Twitter and reacted on the incident. “It’s a tragedy when our protectors turn into oppressors,” he said.
“Police brutality is a terrible crime. It’s a tragedy when our protectors turn into oppressors. I offer my condolences to the family of the victims and appeal to the government to ensure justice for Jayaraj and Fenix(Benix),” He tweeted.