Madurai Court Sentences Nine Police Officers to Death for Custodial Deaths

Key Points

• Nine police officers in Madurai were sentenced to death for the custodial deaths of P. Jeyaraj and his son Bennix in 2020.
• The officers tortured the victims after detaining them for allegedly keeping a shop open beyond COVID-19 lockdown hours.
• The victims died after being transferred to Kovilpatti Sub-Jail without proper medical treatment, with autopsies revealing multiple blunt force injuries.
• The CBI took over the case, concluding the victims were framed and subjected to severe torture; the trial lasted over four years before the verdict.