Four Tamil Nadu cops arrested by CB-CID in custodial deaths case

Four policemen, including an Inspector of a police station in Thoothukudi district where a father and his son were allegedly tortured leading to their deaths, days later, were arrested by the Crime-Branch Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) wing of the Tamil Nadu Police.

The arrests came within 24 hours of the CB-CID taking over the probe into the deaths of P Jeyaraj (61), and Emmanuel Bennix (31), on the orders of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

Sridhar, the inspector who is accused of allegedly torturing several men in the police station, sub-inspector Balakrishnan and constable Murugan were picked up by the sleuths of the CB-CID wing on Thursday morning. Sub-inspector Raghu Ganesh was arrested on Wednesday night.

Also read — SI arrested; Murder charges slapped against 6 in custodial deaths case in Tamil Nadu

Ragu Ganesh is the sub-inspector who filed the FIR on June 19 night against P Jeyaraj and his son Emmanuel Bennix following a complaint by head constable S Murugan and constable Muthuraj that the duo assaulted them following an argument. However, footage recorded in a CCTV installed near Bennix’s mobile shop demolished all the “lies” in the FIR.

Sources said the arrests were made after altering the FIR against the policemen to 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Also read — High Court transfers custodial deaths case to CB-CID

The action comes hours before the Madurai Bench was to hear the case regarding the custodial deaths of Jeyaraj and Bennix.

The altering of the FIR on Wednesday came a day after the High Court said the “anti-mortem” injuries found on the bodies of the duo and the statement by a woman head constable of the station was “prima facie enough” to charge the policemen involved in the incident for murder.

Also read — Tamil Nadu custodial death: Father-son duo thrashed all night by Sathankulam police personnel, says woman cop

The policewoman had told the Judicial Magistrate probing the case that the father-son duo was beaten through the night after their arrest on June 19. On Wednesday, she was given police protection, but the head constable said her fears continue to remain.