‘Rarest of Rare’: Madurai Court Awards Death Sentence to 9 Cops in Sathankulam Custodial Death Case [Read Order]

Madurai: In a landmark decision, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai, on April 6, 2026, sentenced nine Tamil Nadu police personnel to death for the custodial torture and murder of a father and son, P. Jayaraj and J. Bennix, in 2020.

Presiding Judge G. Muthukumaran held that the case falls within the “rarest of rare” category, noting that the accused officers carried out a premeditated and sustained assault inside the Sathankulam police station.

The case arose from an incident on June 19, 2020, during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district. P. Jayaraj, a 59-year-old trader, was detained for allegedly keeping his mobile accessories shop open beyond permitted hours. His son, J. Bennix, subsequently went to the police station, where an altercation with police personnel took place.

According to the prosecution and the findings of the court, both individuals were subjected to continuous custodial torture from approximately 7:45 PM on June 19 until about 3:00 AM the following day. They were stripped to their underwear and repeatedly assaulted with lathis on multiple parts of their bodies. The court recorded that the assault continued despite Jayaraj’s pleas and his disclosure of pre-existing medical conditions.

The prosecution’s case was supported by medical and forensic evidence. Post-mortem reports documented 18 serious injuries on the bodies of the victims. Forensic analysis further established that blood samples collected from the walls and floors of the police station matched those of the victims. Evidence was also led to show that attempts were made to destroy material proof, including forcing the victims to clean bloodstains and disposing of blood-stained clothing.

Following the incident, the victims were taken for medical examination on June 20 and were thereafter remanded to judicial custody. They were lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail, where their condition deteriorated. Bennix died on June 22, and Jayaraj died on June 23.

The deaths led to significant public attention, following which the Madras High Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter and transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The trial proceeded over a period of five years, during which more than 100 witnesses were examined and an extensive chargesheet was considered. One of the accused died during the course of the trial.

In its judgment, the court held that the injuries inflicted were unnatural and constituted the direct cause of death. The defence’s contention that the deaths were attributable to pre-existing illnesses or self-inflicted injuries was rejected.

In his verdict, Judge G. Muthukumaran noted that the “heart shudders” when reading about the sheer brutality of the case. He observed that the crime was particularly heinous as it was committed by those entrusted with maintaining law and order. The court invoked the metaphor of “the fence eating the crops,” stating that the officers acted with a common intention to inflict fatal injuries and instil fear among the public. The court also highlighted that the victims had no criminal history and were targeted for questioning their illegal detention.

The conviction was further supported by the testimony of a woman head constable who was present at the police station during the incident. Her account was found to be consistent with the medical, forensic, and other prosecution evidence.

The nine convicted personnel 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.

In addition to the death sentence, the court directed the convicted officers to collectively pay compensation of ₹1.40 crore to the family of the deceased.

Case Title: CBI v. Sridhar and 9 others (SC 470 of 2020)

[Read Order]