Chennai:
Opposition leaders in Tamil Nadu are questioning why the case towards Jayaraj and Benicks — the father-son duo from Tuticorin whose dying in custody has unleashed outrage throughout the nation — has not been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Jayaraj’s household, they’ve identified, has alleged that the case towards them was false and requires an intensive investigation, the opposition has mentioned.
Jayaraj, 59, and Benicks, 31, had been arrested on June 19 for holding their store open for 15 minutes past permitted hours through the coronavirus lockdown. Within the First Info Report, the police claimed they argued and fought, showered verbal abuses and rolled round on the road to evade arrest.
The boys died in custody, allegedly after brutal torture on the police station. The household alleges they’d extreme inner and exterior wounds, together with rectal bleeding.
After nationwide outrage and calls for for motion towards the policemen concerned, Chief Minister E Palaniswami had handed the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. 4 policemen, together with two sub-inspectors, have been suspended and an inspector has been suspended by the state authorities.
Immediately, two law enforcement officials and a constable had been summoned by the Madras Excessive Court docket over the deaths. The courtroom has mentioned the state authorities should switch the policemen or will probably be “very tough” to conduct a free and honest inquiry.
The courtroom had additionally began contempt proceedings towards the Tamil Nadu police, after going via the report of a judicial inquiry into the deaths, which accused the policemen of non-cooperation.
“You can not do something towards us,” one of many accused constables had instructed the Judicial Justice of the Peace, who was tasked with investigating the deaths.
“We’re of the opinion that the report submitted by the discovered Justice of the Peace is enough for us to take cognisance of prison contempt on our personal,” the Excessive Court docket mentioned. “The police are doing every little thing inside their command to stop Justice of the Peace from continuing with the inquiry,” the judges added.
The incident has triggered a furore in Tamil Nadu and snowballed into a serious political row, involving requires legislation enforcement reform. Tamil Nadu’s opposition DMK focused the AIADMK authorities, accusing it of permitting policemen to take “legislation into their very own fingers”.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has lashed out at Chief Minister Palaniswami and his authorities, labelling them “prime accused” within the deaths.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi additionally cited the difficulty on Friday, tweeting, “Police brutality is a horrible crime. It is a tragedy when our protectors flip into oppressors. I supply my condolences to the household of the victims and enchantment to the federal government to make sure justice for Jeyaraj and Fenix (sic)”.
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