Indian Court Sentences Nine Police Officers to Death in Custodial Killing Case
A court in India has sentenced nine police officers to death in a high-profile custodial killing case, reigniting debate over police brutality and human rights violations in the country.
The case dates back to 2020 in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where 58-year-old P. Jeyaraj and his 38-year-old son J. Bennix were arrested for allegedly violating COVID-19 lockdown restrictions by keeping their mobile phone shop open.
In its verdict, the court ruled that the father and son were subjected to brutal torture while in custody. They were reportedly stripped naked and assaulted in front of each other, in what the judge described as a clear abuse of power and an act carried out with intent to kill.
The court stated that the officers showed no regard for the victims’ vulnerability and emphasized that such actions do not warrant any leniency, regardless of the accused officers’ backgrounds.
A total of 10 police personnel were initially arrested in the case, but one of the accused died of COVID-19 in 2020. The remaining nine were convicted of murder last month and have now been awarded the death penalty. They retain the right to appeal the verdict.
The incident had sparked widespread protests across the state at the time, with prominent figures including Rahul Gandhi and Shikhar Dhawan calling for justice on social media.
The case has once again highlighted concerns raised by human rights organizations, which report that hundreds of people die in police custody each year in India, underscoring systemic issues within law enforcement.
