By Sagaya Fernando | April 7, 2026
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA: In a landmark judgment nearly six years after one of India’s most shocking custodial death cases, a sessions court in Madurai on Monday April 6 sentenced nine policemen to death for the torture and killing of a father and son inside a police station during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
First Additional District and Sessions Judge G Muthukumaran awarded capital punishment to all nine convicted personnel, including an inspector, two sub-inspectors, two head constables and four constables, holding them guilty of the custodial deaths of trader P Jeyaraj (58) and his son J Beniks (31). The court also imposed fines exceeding ₹1 crore collectively.
The case dates back to June 19, 2020, when Jeyaraj and Beniks were picked up by police in Sathankulam town of Thoothukudi district for allegedly keeping their mobile accessories shop open beyond permitted hours during the lockdown. According to the prosecution, what began as routine enforcement escalated into a brutal overnight assault inside the Sathankulam police station.
Investigators later established that the duo were repeatedly beaten for hours. Despite severe injuries, they were produced before a magistrate the next day and remanded to judicial custody. Lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail, their condition deteriorated rapidly. Beniks died on June 22, followed by Jeyaraj on June 23.
The case sparked nationwide outrage, with allegations of custodial torture and attempts to destroy evidence. The Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance and transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In its chargesheet, the CBI said the assault was carried out “to teach them a lesson,” adding that the victims were wrongfully confined, tortured, and subjected to efforts to erase evidence, including cleaning bloodstains and filing false cases.
Pronouncing the sentence, the court described custodial deaths as a “social evil” and said the accused had misused their authority with deliberate intent. It observed that awarding a lesser punishment would send a dangerous message and embolden errant officials.
“This is a case where those entrusted with protection became perpetrators,” the judge noted, underscoring the need for deterrence.
The verdict was welcomed by the victims’ family. “This is not just justice for us, but for all common people,” said J Persis, daughter of Jeyaraj.
The case has come to be seen as a critical test of police accountability in India, highlighting systemic concerns over custodial violence and the need for institutional reform.
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