Sathankulam Custodial Death Case: Madurai Court Finds 9 Policemen Guilty, Sentencing On March 30
It was alleged that both father and son were brutally assaulted in custody, and later, they succumbed to their injuries.
Published : March 23, 2026 at 8:13 PM IST
Madurai: The First Additional Sessions Court in Madurai on Monday held all nine police personnel guilty in the custodial death case of a father and son in Sathankulam.
Jayaraj and his son Bennix, businessmen from Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, were taken in for questioning by police on June 19, 2020, for allegedly keeping their mobile shop open beyond permitted hours during the COVID-19 lockdown. It was alleged that both were brutally assaulted in custody, and later, they succumbed to their injuries.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which later took over the probe, filed a 2,027-page chargesheet against nine accused, including Sathankulam Police Station Inspector Sridhar and Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghuganesh.
The trial, which lasted over five years, was conducted in the First Additional Sessions Court in Madurai. The proceedings concluded earlier this month before Judge G. Muthukumaran, who pronounced the verdict.
While delivering the judgment, the court observed that although Jayaraj had pre-existing heart and lung conditions, his death was not due to illness. Relying on post-mortem reports and forensic evidence, the court concluded that both victims died due to injuries inflicted with objects such as rods and wires. The judge categorised the deaths as murder. The court convicted all nine accused and said the quantum of punishment will be announced on March 30, 2026.
Background of the case
The incident dates back to June 19, 2020, during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Jayaraj (58) and Bennix (31) were detained by Sathankulam police and allegedly subjected to severe custodial torture. On June 20, they were remanded to judicial custody and lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail. Bennix fell ill on June 22 and was admitted to a government hospital in Kovilpatti, where he died the same night. Jayaraj also died in the early hours of June 23, which triggered outrage across Tamil Nadu and India over custodial violence.
Taking suo motu cognisance, the Madras High Court monitored the case. A woman constable posted at Sathankulam police station at the time testified about the assault.
The case was initially probed by the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department before being handed over to the CBI. A murder case was registered against 10 police personnel, including Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspector Balakrishnan, Raghuganesh, and Head Constable Murugan.
One of the accused, Sub-Inspector Baldurai, died due to COVID-19 during the course of the trial. The remaining nine officials were tried in Madurai over nearly six years, during which over 50 witnesses were examined and extensive documentary evidence was submitted. The CBI chargesheet maintained that the primary cause of death of the father and son was the brutal custodial torture inflicted by the accused police personnel.
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