Father, son beaten all night: TN woman cop

Father, son beaten all night: TN woman cop

Enough Proof To Try Police For Murder: HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:01.07.2020

In a damning indictment of Sathankulam police, a woman head constable attached to the station has told the magistrate conducting the inquiry that P Jeyaraj and his son J Benniks were indeed assaulted by police personnel with lathis for a whole night, after their arrest on June 19 even as the Madras HC on Tuesday said there is sufficient material to invoke murder charges against the entire Sathankulam police team.

Lathi blows rained on the two till dawn, due to which there were blood stains on lathis and a table at the station, she told the magistrate. Apprehending destruction of evidence, she requested the inquiring magistrate to take possession of the material. She signed her statement only after the magistrate assured her of safety.

The woman head constable’s statement had to be recorded under most intimidating circumstances at Sathankulam station on June 28, magistrate Bharathidasan said, adding that despite his instruction to wait outside, police personnel caused hindrance.

Citing ante-mortem injuries found on the bodies of J Benniks and his father P Jeyaraj, the preliminary post-mortem report, the Kovilpatti judicial magistrate’s report and the damning deposition of the woman head constable, a division bench of Justice P N Prakash and Justice B Pugalendhi said they would be prima facie be sufficient to alter the case under Section 302 IPC against the Sathankulam policemen.

The judges said that from the report of the judicial magistrate, they are able to discern that the Sathankulam police are taking advantage of the fact that the investigation of the case is in limbo and are attempting to cause disappearance of evidence. “In fact, they were emboldened enough to even intimidate the judicial officer to put spokes in the wheel of his enquiry,” said the judges, adding that CB-CID DSP Anil Kumar had been put in charge of investigation.

Directing Anil Kumar to immediately take charge and proceed with investigation without waiting for a formal order from the DGP, the judges said it is open to the state government to revisit the idea of entrusting the matter to the CBI, if they are satisfied that Anil Kumar is proceeding on the right lines. The case was adjourned to July 2.

“We fervently hope that Anil Kumar will have before his mind’s eye, the river of tears flowing from the eyes of the family of the two decease d and take up the investigation of the case in all earnestness for wiping their tears,” they said.

Thoothukudi SP Arun Balagopalan (2nd L), additional SP D Kumar (L), DSP C Prathapan (R) and constable Maharajan (4th L, not in uniform) after appearing before the Madurai bench of Madras high court in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case on Tuesday

Violent behaviour: 80 cops taken off duty

As many as 80 police personnel in Trichy have been removed from duty following reports of their violent and aggressive behaviour with the public. In a Facebook post late on Monday night, the DIG V Balakrishnan stated, “We are removing 80 police personnel in Trichy police range who need behavioural correction to improve their interpersonal skills. They are taken off duties involving direct public contact as their track record in that aspect is found wanting. They will be gradually reintegrated into regular duties only after completing a specially designed course with cognitive behavioural therapy component to improve the way they deal with the public.” The DIG had kicked off the process a few months ago after 55-year-old man in Trichy died of heart attack during inquiry by a special team in connection with a theft case at Samayapuram in December 2019. TNN