Tuticorin: A court in Tuticorin’s Sathankulam has sentenced nine police officers to death for their involvement in the brutal custodial torture and murder of a father and son. The case, deemed a “rarest of rare” case, shocked the public as the officers who were entrusted with the responsibility of protecting citizens became the perpetrators of a heinous crime that rattled the collective conscience of society.
The sessions court, led by Judge G. Muthukumaran, delivered the verdict, saying, “The individuals entrusted with the duty of protecting the public have committed a crime so brutal that it has shaken the very moral fabric of society.”
The convicted police officers were found guilty of the torture and subsequent murder of P. Jairaj and his son J. Bennicks. The court sentenced all nine officers to death and imposed a fine of ₹1.40 crore, which will be provided as compensation to the victims’ family.
This tragedy occurred in June 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown when Jairaj and Bennicks were arrested for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond the designated hours. In custody, they were subjected to severe physical abuse, which led to their deaths a few days later in the hospital.
The case sparked public outrage, leading the Madras High Court to take suo motu cognizance, and the investigation was eventually transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which led to the conviction of the police officers.
