The death of a father and son in police custody in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state caused outrage after the victims’ family accused police of torturing the custody duo.
P Jayaraj, 59, and his son J Bennix, 31, were jailed by police last Friday in the Thoothukudi district for violating coronavirus blockade orders in the state. Police accused them of opening their mobile phone store beyond the 8 pm limit.
Police say Bennix complained of chest pain and Jayaraj suffered a high fever while housed inside the Kovilpatti sub-prison. They were taken to the Kovilpatti government hospital, where they both died within a few hours of each other, police said.
But family members say the duo was subjected to torture in custody. They also accuse the police of sexually assaulting the victims.
Share and tag fwd so non-Tamil speakers can understand what happened #JusticeforJayarajAndFenix @bhakisundar @ahmedmeeranoffl pic.twitter.com/nZ7klPzpsO
– Suchitra (@suchi_mirchi) June 25, 2020
“Jayaraj and Bennix were beaten again after being taken to the police station, even when some of us witnessed him from the entrance of the police station,” family members told The Hindu newspaper.
Tamil Nadu, one of the states most affected by the coronavirus in the country, has continued its blockade to control the spread of the virus. More than 70,000 cases have been reported in the southern state, with 911 deaths.
Most parts of India have lifted the blocking measures despite the number of virus cases crossing half a million.
Protests against deaths
The state government, headed by the India-wide regional Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), announced that compensation of Rs 2 million ($ 26,450) would be paid to the family of the victims.
He also suspended two police officers and transferred several other officials.
An local court is monitoring an investigation into the case, which has sparked protests in the state with the main opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) calling for the culprit to be charged.
… seek justice
Rebuke the oppressor …
(Isaiah 1:17, NKJV) # JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix # JUSTICEFORJAYARAJANDBENNIX pic.twitter.com/2jTgBiTSnU– Venesh Vijayan K (@veneshvijayank) June 27, 2020
Autopsies for the men have not yet been released, but initial medical reports showed injuries to the bodies of the victims, according to local media reports.
“His legs and hands were swollen, and Bennix was bleeding from his buttocks. (Jayaraj) had severe knee injuries. The police even asked for new lungis (sarongs) because the ones they were wearing were bloody,” said S Rajaram, a lawyer. and Bennix’s friend, they told the Singapore-based news website The Straits Times.
Amnesty India called on the Tamil Nadu government to “end impunity for police officers”.
“The deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks [Bennix] once again, point to India’s continued failure to hold its police accountable, “Avinash Kumar, executive director of Amnesty International India said in a statement.
“The low conviction rates in torture and death in custody cases have created a climate of widespread impunity, emboldening police officers. This must end now.”
“According to data from the 2018 National Crime Registry Office, Tamil Nadu accounted for the second highest number of deaths in custody. But not a single police officer was arrested.”
The #justiceforjayarajandbennix hashtag was trending on Twitter. A video posted by radio jockey Suchi calling for action against the police for the alleged torture went viral.
The leader of the main opposition party in the Indian Congress condemned “police brutality”.
“Police brutality is a terrible crime. It is a tragedy when our protectors become oppressors. I offer my condolences to the victims’ families and ask the government to guarantee #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix,” he tweeted.
