Breaking: 9 cops sentenced to death in father-son custodial torture, killing case
Babushahi Bureau
Madurai (Tamil Nadu), April 6, 2026: In a significant and rare verdict, a court in Madurai has sentenced nine Tamil Nadu police personnel to death for their role in the 2020 custodial deaths of a father-son duo in Sathankulam, a case that had triggered widespread outrage across the country.
The judgment was delivered by First Additional District and Sessions Judge G Muthukumaran, who termed the crime as falling under the “rarest of rare” category.
The court observed that the accused policemen, who were entrusted with maintaining law and order, had instead misused their authority and carried out brutal acts of violence.
As per reports, the victims, P Jayaraj (59) and his son J Benniks (31), were taken into custody on June 19, 2020, for allegedly keeping their mobile accessories shop open beyond permitted hours during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
File Photo of Father-Son duo
Investigations later revealed that the two had no serious criminal background and were subjected to sustained custodial torture inside the Sathankulam police station.
According to the prosecution, the assault continued through the night and involved severe physical abuse, leading to critical injuries. Medical findings pointed to extensive trauma and heavy bleeding, ultimately resulting in their deaths.
The case was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which argued that the torture was deliberate and systematic. The court accepted this argument, holding the accused guilty of murder and related offences.
Those convicted include Inspector S. Sridhar; Sub-Inspectors P. Raghu Ganesh and K. Balakrishnan; Head Constables S. Murugan and A. Samadurai; and Constables M. Muthuraj, S. Chelladurai, X. Thomas Francis, and S. Veilumuthu. A tenth accused, Special Sub-Inspector Pauldurai, had died during the trial due to COVID-19.
In addition to the death penalty, the court ordered the convicted officers to collectively pay compensation amounting to ₹1.40 crore to the victims’ family.
The incident, which occurred in 2020, had sparked nationwide protests and raised serious concerns about custodial violence and police accountability in India.