Sathankulam custodial deaths: CBI charge-sheets 9 TN police personnel for murder, destruction of evidence

New Delhi/Madurai: The CBI has charge-sheeted nine Tamil Nadu policemen for murder, conspiracy and other offences in the custodial death case of the father-son duo who were arrested on a "fake" charge of violating the lockdown and tortured in Sathankulam police station in June this year, officials said Saturday.

The policemen have also been accused of destruction of evidence in the charge-sheet 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 charge-sheet, 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 charge-sheet as the three-month custody of the accused is getting over on September 30 making them eligible for bail, sources 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 Coronavirus lockdown by keeping their shops open beyond the permitted time, they said.

During the investigation, nine CBI officers contracted COVID-19 while one of the accused sub-inspector died. All the remaining accused police personnel are under judicial custody, they said. With agency inputs