Accused policeman in Tamil Nadu custodial deaths case dies of Covid-19

One of the five policemen arrested for their role in the alleged custodial death of a father and his son in Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu succumbed to the novel coronavirus infection on Monday. Special Sub-Inspector Pauldurai in the early hours of Monday as he failed to respond to Covid-19 treatment at a hospital in Madurai, 465 km from here.

Pauldurai was shifted to the hospital last month from the Central Prison in Madurai after testing positive for Covid-19. The SSI was among two policemen involved in the case who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus last month.

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Besides, seven sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case after taking over from the Tamil Nadu police’s CB-CID wing, had also tested positive for the virus. As many as 10 policemen were booked for their role in the case of the custodial deaths, while only five of them were arrested.

Jeyaraj, 61, and his son Emmanuel Bennix,31, were arrested by police in Sathankulam town, 635 km from here, in Thoothukudi district over an argument on June 19.

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The father-son duo was allegedly tortured during police custody leading to their deaths, three days later. While Bennix breathed his last on June 22, Jeyaraj died a few hours later in the early hours of June 23.