The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against nine former Tamil Nadu Police officials in connection with two cases it registered over the custodial deaths of father-son duo P. Jeyaraj and J. Benniks.
A charge sheet has been filed against 9 then police officials namely -- S. Sridhar, then Inspector and SHO, K. Balakrishnan, then SI, P. Raghuganesh, then SI, AS. Murugan, then HC, A. Samadurai, then HC, AM. Muthuraja, then Constable, S. Chelladurai, then Constable, X, a CBI spokesperson said.
Thomas Francis, then Constable and S. Veilumuthu, then Constable -- all of Sathankulam Police Station in Tamil Nadu. He said that the agency filed the chargesheet in a Madurai court under several sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The CBI registered two cases on July 7 related to the allegations of custodial death of the father-son duo of traders in Tamil Nadu`s Kovilpatti on the request of the Tamil Nadu government and further notification by the Centre.
After registering the case, a CBI team camped continuously at Madurai and worked on the cases even through the Covid-19 pandemic. A CBI official linked to the probe said that nine members of the CBI team in Madurai investigating the case also tested positive for Covid-19.
Jayaraj (59) and his son J Benicks (31), were arrested on June 19 and lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail for keeping their mobile phone shop in the Sathankulam main bazaar area open during a curfew imposed during coronavirus lockdown.
Jayaraju and Benicks were admitted to the Kovilpatti government hospital on June 22. While the son died on the same night, the father breathed his last on June 23 morning.
According to reports, two senior Inspectors have been suspended while departmental action is also being taken against two chief guards of the jail.
(With IANS inouts)
