Chargesheet against 9 TN cops in father-son duo custodial death case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 26

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against nine Tamil Nadu policemen for murder, conspiracy and other offences in the custodial death case in which a father-son duo, who were arrested on a “fake” charge of violating the lockdown and allegedly tortured at the Sathankulam police station.

The policemen have also been accused of destruction of evidence in the chargesheet filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Madurai on Friday in the alleged torture and murder of shopkeepers

J Benniks and his father RP Jeyaraj, who ran a mobile phone shop in Thoothukudi district.

The ghastly crime had triggered a massive outrage prompting the Chief Minister to seek a CBI probe in the matter.

In its chargesheet, the CBI has named the then Inspector and SHO, S Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors

K Balakrishnan, P Raghuganesh, Head Constables S Murugan, A Samadurai and Constables M Muthuraja, S Chelladurai, X Thomas Francis and S Veilumuthu posted at the police station.

The CBI rushed to file the chargesheet as the three-month custody of the accused is ending on September 30, making them eligible for bail, sources in the agency said.

The agency has alleged that after the torture of the two victims in the police station, which led to their death, the police officials destroyed evidence and filed “fake” charges against them of violating the Covid lockdown by keeping their shops open beyond the permitted time, the sources said.

During the investigation, nine CBI officers contracted Covid-19, while one of the accused sub-inspector died. All the remaining accused are in judicial custody, they said.

CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said the father-son duo was arrested on the evening of June 19, 2020, and allegedly tortured at the police station, consequent to which both of them succumbed to the injuries and died on the intervening night of June 22 and June 23.