Madurai court sentences nine cops to death for 2020 custodial murders of Jayaraj and Bennix in Sathankulam, rejects claims injuries were self inflicted. Know more about the case
On June 19, 2020, the father-son duo was taken to the Sathankulam Police Station, where they were brutally assaulted by the police.
The First Additional District and Sessions Court, Madurai, on Monday awarded death sentence to nine police officers convicted for the murder of father-son duo in Sathankulam in 2020.
Here is more about the case
On June 19, 2020, Jayaraj and his son Bennix were taken to the Sathankulam Police Station. While in custody, they were brutally assaulted by the police. Though they were later remanded under sections 188, 269, 294(b), 353, and 506(2) of the IPC, Bennix succumbed to the injuries on June 22 and Jayaraj on June 23.
Following their deaths, several cases were registered against 10 police officers, and disciplinary action was also taken against them. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court also took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
While hearing the case, the HC said there was a prima facie case for charges of murder against the officers. It also accused the police officers of trying to destroy evidence related to the case while directing the Deputy Superintendent of Police, CB-CID to take charge of the investigation immediately.
Later on the request of the DGP, the state government transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. With this, cases were registered under Sections 302, 342, 201, 182, 193, 211, 218, 120(B), and 34 of the IPC against the then Inspector S. Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors P. Raghu Ganesh and K. Balakrishnan, head constables S. Murugan and A. Saamidurai, and constables M. Muthuraj, S. Chelladurai, X. Thomas Francis, S. Veilumuthu, and Special Sub-Inspector Pauldurai. Pauldurai, however, died pending trial due to Covid-19.
On Monday, the Madurai Court awarded the accused death penalty and said the injuries inflicted on Jayaraj and Bennix were unnatural, which ultimately caused their death.
LiveLaw quoted the judges rejecting the argument that the injuries were self-inflicted and noted that the post-mortem reports revealed that the injuries were a result of repeated assault.
The court concluded that it was a case of murder.
April 06, 2026, 21:21 IST
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