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In a key development in the 2020 Sathankulam custodial deaths case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, July 24, opposed a plea filed by suspended inspector S Sridhar, the prime accused, who sought to turn approver and testify against other police personnel involved in the case.
Sridhar, who was the Station House Officer at the Sathankulam police station in Thoothukudi district at the time of the incident, had filed a petition before the I Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai. He expressed willingness to make a full and true disclosure of the events that led to the deaths of 58-year-old P. Jeyaraj and his 31-year-old son J. Bennix, and sought a pardon from the court in return.
The father-son duo, who ran a mobile shop in Sathankulam, were arrested on June 19, 2020, for allegedly violating COVID-19 lockdown norms. They died within days of their arrests, allegedly due to brutal custodial torture.
The suspended inspector’s plea was filed in May this year, and trial judge G Muthukumaran had directed the CBI to submit a response. Following that order, the agency filed a counter affidavit strongly opposing Sridhar’s request, calling him the main conspirator.
The CBI stated that Sridhar had instigated other police personnel to torture the victims through the night of June 19 until around 3 am the next day. Both Jeyaraj and Bennix succumbed to multiple blunt-force injuries, as confirmed by forensic and medical reports.
The agency informed the court that it had gathered sufficient evidence against Sridhar and the others, including DNA samples from lathis, lock-up rooms, and toilets in the station that matched the victims. The CBI argued that no leniency should be shown to Sridhar and urged the court to dismiss the plea.
The deceased Jeyaraj’s wife, Selvarani, also filed a counter affidavit opposing Sridhar’s plea, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to delay the trial. She pointed out that there were multiple eyewitnesses, including fellow police personnel, and demanded justice without compromise.
Sridhar’s plea comes weeks after the Madras High Court rejected his seventh bail application, citing the grave nature of the charges. He is currently lodged in Madurai Central Prison, along with nine other suspended policemen facing trial. One of the originally accused officers died of COVID-19.
The court has adjourned the matter to July 28.