“You Can’t Do Anything To Us”: Cops In Father-Son Deaths Summoned

Chennai:

Two cops and a constable in Tamil Nadu have been summoned by the Madras High Court over the deaths of a person and his son arrested for holding their store open past permitted hours through the coronavirus lockdown. The court docket has additionally mentioned the state authorities should switch the policemen or will probably be “very difficult” to conduct a free and honest inquiry.

Deputy Superintendent of Police C Prathapan, Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police D Kumar and police constable Maharajan at Santhankulam in Tuticorin have been requested to look at 10.30 am at present earlier than the court docket.

The High Court has initiated contempt motion in opposition to the policemen primarily based on the report of a Judicial Magistrate who has accused them of attempting to impede him whereas he was investigating the case at Santhankulam in Tuticorin.

“You cannot do anything to us,” constable Maharajan mentioned, in accordance with the Justice of the Peace’s report back to the court docket.

The Judicial Magistrate was tasked with investigating the circumstances through which Jeyaraj and Beniks died after their arrest earlier this month for holding their cell phone store open 15 minutes past lockdown curfew. The deaths, blamed on egregious police torture, have sparked nationwide outrage and requires homicide costs in opposition to the police.

The High Court famous that the Justice of the Peace’s report “clearly shows the district police administration are doing everything to prevent him from proceeding with the inquiry”. It additionally mentioned the constable had made disparaging remarks.

Jeyaraj, 59, and his son Beniks, 31, have been arrested on June 19. The police claimed of their FIR that the 2 argued and fought with the police, showered verbal abuses and rolled round on the road to battle their arrest.

The two males have been allegedly subjected to brutal torture on the police station. Their household alleges they’d extreme inside and exterior wounds, together with rectal bleeding, once they have been launched.

Beniks died in hospital on June 22. His father died the following day.

There has been an outpouring of anger and grief over the deaths. Activists, politicians and celebrities have demanded homicide costs in opposition to the policemen concerned, many utilizing the hashtag #JusticeForJeyarajAndBennicks.

The police have solely registered a case of suspicious deaths until now. The state authorities at present handed over the investigation to the CBI. Some activists mentioned the transfer may dilute the case.