The arrested police officers in connection to the case of custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, have been remanded under judicial custody following the intense interrogation carried out by the Crime Branch- Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) that lasted for many hours on Thursday. 

The custodial deaths of the father and son had sparked massive outrage across the state and the nation following which the CB-CID took over the case under its ambit with the directive from the Madras High Court Madurai bench and started the probe on Tuesday. Since then, the case has been attaining major breakthroughs and on Wednesday, the probing team arrested suspended Sub Inspector of Sathanakulam police station Raghu Ganesh in connection to the custodial deaths.

Following the investigation, he was remanded under justice custody till July 16. On Thursday, the CBCID, along with the district police, had arrested three other cops - suspended Police inspector of Sathankulam Sridhar, Sub-Inspector Balakrishnan, and Head Constable Murugan who were accused of brutally beating and torturing the father and son to death. The special team detained them and booked an FIR against them under the grounds of murder -Section 302 of IPC.

According to the reports, the probing team interrogated the detained officers which lasted for more than five hours, and after which, all the arrested officers have been remanded under the judicial custody for 15 days for further investigation. All four detained officers have been lodged in Perurani district jail in Thoothukudi and their detention has come ten days after the death of Jayaraj and Bennicks, who were brutally tormented by the police officers under the police custody.

While addressing the reporters on Thursday, the newly appointed Inspector General of Police South Zone Dr. S Murugan said the police department will extend full coordination to the CBCID related to the case of custodial deaths and stated that the police department will not stand in support of the arrested police officers. He took charge of his new role on Thursday and he visited Sathankulam.

The arrests and the developments have come amid the massive outrage and resentments against the police brutality. While people, activists, and opposition leaders have been raising voice for justice, the arrest of the police officers has brought a hope that the justice will prevail and the residents of Sathankulam had distributed sweets and burst crackers on Thursday after knowing that the important police officers who tortured the father and son in the prison have been arrested and remanded under the judicial custody. The family members of the victims had also welcomed the arrests and thanked people for voicing for justice. The family expressed their hope that the accused will be met with the maximum punishments.