As the custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks, who were brutally tortured and ill-treated to death by the policemen of Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, have sparked immense outrage across the state and nation, it has got major attention from the Central government as Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked for a report of the custodial deaths from Tamil Nadu's Home department. 

The horrific degree of treatment given to the father and son had strongly spotlighted the police brutality in India and the evidence and developments emerged aftermath the deaths had exposed the series of foul plays committed by the local police on justifying why they arrested the father and son duo on June 19. 

According to our sources, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami wasn't informed about the incident by the police department or by the state intelligence, rather he came to know about the deaths through the protests carried out by the traders union of the state which fiercely condemned the police for thrashing the father and son while under their custody. Following the initial developments, he reached out to the Director-General of Police and the intelligence officers and piled up the information and developments.

Upon knowing the incident, the Chief Minister discussed the matter with the Chief Secretary, Director-General of Police (DGP), and Home Secretary of Tamil Nadu during which the DGP has informed to the Chief Minister of what he was informed by Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police Arun Balagopalan, who has now been transferred from the post. The sources say Arun Balagopalan told the DGP that the father and son had died due to breathing difficulty in the custody and stated that the opposition DMK party has been stimulating the traders to protest against the deaths. 

Following his update, the DGP told the same to the Chief Minister and suggested the government that it can issue the statement given by the Superintendent of Police following which the Chief Minister said that the father and son had died due to breathing difficulty and announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the family of the victims. He further stood at the hope that the autopsy report would be based on the government's statement as it was performed in Tirunelveli Government Hospital. 

However, the custodial deaths had erupted unprecedented outrage across the state and the activists, opposition parties, and common people have demanded strongly for justice for the victims and to initiate appropriate actions against the responsible police officers following which the Madras High Court Madurai Bench had taken the case under its suo motu cognizance. 

After witnessing the developments that are getting against the government, the Chief Minister has, according to our sources, asked Kadambur Raju, the senior minister from Thoothukudi, to solace the family members and to perform the last rites of the mortal remains of father and son. Minister Kadambur Raju came to Sathankulam and spoken with the family members, solaced them, and asserted them of justice following which the family members of the victims accepted to take the body with the hope on the government and justice. 

Kadambur Raju had also handed over the government's compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family members. However, further developments from the police department on the falsified FIR and wrongful confinement have been turning against the government and the opposition parties are urging the state government to bring responsible to justice. DMK leader and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi has moved her petition against the Tamil Nadu government and the police department on the custodial deaths to the Union Home Ministry.

Based on the petition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked a report from the Tamil Nadu government on the custodial deaths and along with that, the Home Ministry has asked the report on the custodial deaths from the Central Intelligence agencies and our sources say that the report sent to Amit Shah by the intelligence agencies was against Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and the police department.

Our sources further stated that the Chief Minister has transferred the case to the CBI after knowing that the Center, state, and the opposition parties have been against his government. According to the reports, the case has now been probed by the CBCID department which had arrested four police officers so far in connection to the case and remanded them under judicial custody.

Must read: 

Sathankulam custodial deaths: After arresting police, CBCID to probe Friends of Police! 

Sathankulam deaths: Locals celebrate as the arrested cops lodged under judicial custody!