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Sathankulam custodial deaths: NHRC issues notice to TN Police and CBCID takes on the probe!

By alagu, 01 July, 2020
India, Tamilnadu, Custodial deaths, Injustices

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has, on Wednesday, said that it has issued notice to the Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police (DGP) and the Superintendent of Police of Thoothukudi district to seek the report over the custodial deaths of a father and son, Jayaraj and Bennicks, who had died under the police custody in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi. 

The notice from the nation's top human rights body has come nearly ten days after the death of the father and son. The notice has been issued at a high time when the state has been witnessing immense fury against the police department for torturing and brutally killing the father and son. 

By taking to Twitter, the NHRC has said that it has also issued notice to the police officers and directed them to disclose their report within six weeks. The report must include the medical treatment record, autopsy report of the father and son along with the inquest report, magisterial inquiry report, and health screening report.

 

According to the reports, the Crime Branch - Criminal Investigation Department has taken over the probe on Tuesday with accord to the directive of the Madras High Court Madurai Bench, which took the matter under suo motu cognizance. The High Court has observed that there is a possibility that the evidence connected to the case would be tampered and destroyed before CBI takes the probe and ordered the CBCID to initiate the interim probe into the custodial deaths. 

As per the directive, the CBCID team led by department's Tirunelveli DSP Anil Kumar started its probe on Tuesday directly from the Sathankulam police station, which has been brought under the control of the Revenue department. The sleuths of CBCID had, on Wednesday, investigated the family members of the victims, their relatives, and visited the area where Bennicks's mobile shop is located. 

 

On Wednesday, Inspector General of Police CDCID Shankar said that the agency would take a final call on booking the responsible police officers under murder charges depends on the probe. He further said that the agency has come for probing the deaths and the investigation has been started. 

On Tuesday, the Madras High Court Madurai Bench has said that there was prima facie evidence suggesting that the responsible policemen behind the custodial deaths can be booked under section 302 - Murder, based on the post mortem report and the report of the Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate. In his report, the judicial magistrate said that Sathankulam Head Constable Revathy has become a direct witness to the incident and she divulged that the policemen had brutally tortured and beaten Jayaraj and Bennicks throughout the night between June 19 and June 20. 

She revealed that they thrashed the father and son in the station. The magistrate further stated that bloodstains were found in the lathis and table of the police station and Jayaraj and Bennicks had suffered multiple injuries. According to the reports, Head Constable Revathy and her family have been provided with security after she expressed fear that she could be tortured by the police officers after confessing the truth of what happened to the father and son at the station.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier transferred the case to CBI, transferred Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police Arun Balagopalan, and suspended Sathankulam Inspector Sridhar, two sub-inspectors, one constable and transferred over 17 police officers of the station in the wake of the custodial deaths that sparked massive outrage.

Must read: 

Sathankulam custodial deaths: DSP Prathapan and ASP Kumar get fresh postings within 24 hours! 

Sathankulam custodial deaths: New SP, new order, and new evidence! Is TN govt under pressure? 

 

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