The CBI has filed a chargesheet against nine police officials, including then Inspector/SHO, two Sub-Inspectors, two Head Constables and four constables of Sathankulam Police Station (Tamil Nadu) for allegedly torturing a father-son duo, both traders, to death on June 19, in a case that triggered nationwide outrage.

Traders P Jeyaraj (59) and his son J Feniks (31) were taken into custody by the Sattankulam Police allegedly for violating the lockdown rule that mandated the closure of all business establishments after 8 pm. Jeyaraj, who owned a mobile phone shop, had kept open his shop beyond the time limit, according to the police version. He was taken to the police station while his son reached the station to find out why his father was taken into custody.

While Feniks died on June 22 at the Kovipatti General Hospital, Jeyaraj was found dead on June 23. Police brutality is said to be the cause of the deaths.

The Tamil Nadu Government had ordered a magistrate level probe, but the cops in the Sattankulam Station refused to cooperate with the magistrate which led the Madras High Court to order the revenue administration to take possession of the police station, a first of kind incident in the country. Later the State Government ordered a CBI probe into the case following the request by the Director General of Police.

The chargesheet has been filed under Indian Penal Code Sections relating to criminal conspiracy, murder and common intention among others.

The chargesheet filed before a designated court at Madurai also covers other IPC Sections including those dealing with wrongful confinement, destruction of evidence, false information, false evidence, false charge of offense made with intent to injure, falsification of records by a public servant.

One more accused, then Sub Inspector died during investigation. The charged policemen were arrested during the investigation and are presently in judicial custody.

The CBI had registered two cases on July 7 this year related to the allegations of the custodial deaths on the request of Tamil Nadu Government and further notification from the Centre.

“A CBI team camped continuously at Madurai and worked untiringly in the cases despite the odds of Covid-19 pandemic,” the agency said in a statement here.

CBI investigation revealed that the father-son duo was arrested in the evening of June 19 and allegedly tortured at the Sathankulam Police Station by the accused in the evening as well as in the intervening night, consequent to which both of them succumbed to the injuries and died in the intervening night of June 22 and June 23.

After investigation, a combined chargesheet in both cases has been filed. Further investigation is continuing to look into the role of other persons in the case, it added.

The accused chargesheeted in the cases are S Sridhar, then Inspector/SHO, K Balakrishnan, then Sub-Inspector; P Raghuganesh, then Sub-Inspector, S Murugan, then Head Constable, A Samadurai, then Head Constable, M Muthuraja, then Constable, S Chelladurai, then Constable, X Thomas Francis, then Constable and S Veilumuthu, then constable.