Three more policemen arrested

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu investigators arrested three police personnel on Thursday in connection with the alleged custodial torture and death of a father and son as the Madurai bench of the Madras high court (HC) ordered protection for the key eyewitness in the case that has sparked outrage across India.

The Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) arrested inspector Sridhar, sub-inspector Balakrishnan and constable Murugan. So far, five policemen have been charged under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC in connection with the alleged custodial deaths of P Jayaraj, 59 and J Bennicks, 31, based on the key eyewitness’s statement and preliminary post-mortem reports.

The CB-CID is on the lookout for another constable, Maharajan, against whom a contempt case is being heard in court for his conduct towards the judicial magistrate of Kovilpatti, MS Barathidasan, who conducted a probe into the incident. Sub-inspector Raghu Ganesh, who was under suspension, was arrested on Wednesday.

Inspector General of Police, CB-CID, K Shankar said that murder charges were pressed against five policemen and four of them were arrested.

Bennicks and Jayaraj died on June 22 and June 23 after hours of alleged torture at the Sathankulam police station in Thoothukudi district on June 19.

On Thursday, the HC ordered the police to send a woman officer, a head constable of Sathankulam police station, on a month’s paid leave from July 1 and deputed four police constables outside her house for protection. She testified on record that the father and son were beaten through the night on June 19 and sought anonymity.

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