Nearly a week after the Crime Branch- Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) took the probe into the custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, the Central government has issued the directive to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to pitch on the probing grounds to take over the investigation from the CBCID, as requested by the Tamil Nadu State government.

The directive has been issued on Tuesday after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for having the CBI probe into the custodial deaths of the father and son, who were brutally tortured and beaten to death by the policemen. The probe has been carried out by the CBCID with the direction of the Madras High Court Madurai Bench, which took the matter under suo motu cognizance.

The High Court has ordered the CBCID to take over the case based on the evidence- medical and autopsy reports, and a statement from the woman police officer which strongly revealed that the father and son duo were thrashed and assaulted by the policemen. Amid the developments, the Chief Minister said that the case has been transferred to the CBI. However, the High Court observed that it's not required to hand over the case of CBI if the CBCID probe goes well.

Though the CBCID has been on the grounds and detained the police officers behind the death, the state government wished to stick with its decision of bringing CBI to probe the matter following which the Chief Minister has written to the Center requesting a probe from the CBI. Following his request, the Central government has, on Tuesday,  directed the Central Agency to take over the probe.

This has been one of the major developments in the case which has come amid the massive outrage against what has spotlighted the police brutality in India. Last Tuesday, the CBCID took the probe and within two days of taking the probe, the team has arrested five police officers of the Sathankulam police station who were responsible for the deaths of the father and son.

The CBCID team has arrested the suspended Police Inspector of Sathankulam Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan, and Head Constables Murugan and Muthuraj in connection to the custodial deaths. All the five cops have been booked under the charges of murder and wrongful confinement and lodged under judicial custody in the Perurani district jail in Thoothukudi for 15 days for further interrogations. 

As the CBI prepares to take over the probe of one of the crucial cases that remains under public scrutiny, the matter would go under the ambit of the Central Agency from the High Court. The CBI would be taking over the probe at the high time when the CBCID has been investigating more evidence and witnesses connected to the case. 

The custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks would be one of the important cases probed by the CBI. Thoothukudi Massacre (2018), Pollachi Sexual Assault Case (2019), Fathima Latheef Suicide case (2019), Vishnupriya Suicide case (2015), Ramajayam murder case (2017) are some of the important cases in Tamil Nadu that are still probed by the CBI. 

Must- read: AS CBI TO PROBE SATHANKULAM CUSTODIAL DEATHS, WHAT'S THE STATE OF SOME OF THE IMPORTANT CASES?