The mysterious death of father and son under police custody in Thoothukudi district has triggered a massive outrage across the state and the Tamil Nadu Traders Association has announced that all the shops in the state would be shuttered down on Wednesday -June 24 with the view of urging the state government to deliver justice to the family of the deceased.

While addressing the reporters on Tuesday, Traders Association President Vellaiyan said the association has instructed the shop owners to shut their establishments on Wednesday to express solidarity to the family and to demand justice from the government. The association would observe a one-day shutdown of shops to condemn the incident of what has been dubbed as police brutality.

By citing that shut down will be for a day, Vellaiyan called the public not to panic in the wake of the shutdown. The decision has come hours after the father and son had died under police custody. According to the reports, Jayarajan (58) and his son Bennix (31), a native of Sathankulam from Thoothukudi district have died one after the other mysteriously when they were lodged under the police custody in Kovilpatti sub-jail. The father and son duo operated a mobile shop in the area and on June 19, they were detained by the Sathankulam police department under the grounds of violating the lockdown timings. 

The police alleged that they kept their shop open beyond the prescribed timing of the lockdown and they were lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail. During the police custody in Kovilpatti sub-jail, Bennix had developed chest pain on June 22 -Monday after which he was taken to the Kovilpatti government hospital. However, he was declared dead in the medical facility. Hours after his demise, his father Jayarajan was also taken to the hospital.

The reports say Jayarajan had also died in the wee hours of Tuesday - June 23 - about 4.30 am at Kovilpatti government hospital and the back to back deaths of father and son under police custody had triggered huge protests amid the Coronavirus outbreak. According to our sources, the locals say that the duo had died due to police brutality.

The issue had sparked huge protests and outrage across the state and the opposition parties demanded stern actions against the police officers who were responsible behind the incident. After the fierce protests, Thoothukudi Collector Sandeep Nanduri said that the administration has suspended two Sub-inspectors who were connected to the incident. 

According to the reports, the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has issued a notice to Tamil Nadu state government on the death of father and son under police custody and asked the Principal Secretary of the government and Additional Director General of Police for Prisons to disclose the report in four weeks.

Traders Association President Vellaiyan further demanded the government to provide compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family and urged the government to initiate appropriate actions against the police officers.

Must read: Massive outrage in TN after the father and son died in police custody in Thoothukudi!