Hope justice is served: Family of father-son duo 'killed' in custody

The family of the father-son duo, who was killed allegedly in police custody in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, on Saturday pinned hopes on the judiciary to ensure justice for their loved ones, who were taken by police following an argument and returned only as lifeless bodies.

Vinoth, the son-in-law of P Jeyaraj who along with his son Emmanuel Bennix were killed due to torture that included severe beating in police custody, said his mother-in-law and a few other relatives would record their statements before the Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate, who has been directed by the Madras High Court to inquire into the incident.

DMK, the principal Opposition party, continued to keep up the political pressure by announcing on Saturday that it would move the courts seeking a CBI inquiry into the incident if the state government does not institute a proper inquiry and fails to take necessary action.

The death of the father and son, within hours of each other, triggered a major row in Tamil Nadu with politicians, cricketers, actors, music directors, activists and the common people asking the state government to act against the policemen, who inflicted “unimaginable violence” on the two.

Pinning hopes on judiciary

Jeyaraj had three daughters and a son, Bennix. While his daughters were married, the family was looking for a bride to get Bennix married, but his life was cut short abruptly.

“We hope justice will be served to us. Our hope is pinned on the judiciary as the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has taken a special interest in the case. Our only hope is judiciary now as the state government has not even filed a case against the policemen who are responsible for the death of my father-in-law and brother-in-law,” Vinoth told DH.

Vinoth and his wife, the youngest of Jeyaraj’s children, rushed to Sathankulam, 630 km from here, after hearing about Bennix’s death on Monday. By the time they reached their native place, Jeyaraj had also died. Vinoth said the family believes that his father-in-law and brother-in-law were “murdered” by the police.

“They were taken alive on June 19 and they returned as lifeless bodies after being murdered by the police. Our last hope is the judiciary and we hope the public outrage will also play a major role in rendering justice to the father and son,” he said. Relatives of Jeyaraj and Bennix have also alleged that the duo were soaked in blood when they were transferred from the police station to be produced before the magistrate.

Inquest proceedings

The Madurai Bench had on Friday issued a slew of direction to the judicial magistrate regarding the inquest into the custodial death. A division bench of Justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi asked the JM to visit the house of the victims to record their submissions and the police station where the duo were allegedly tortured before being taken to a sub-jail.

The bench had also asked the JM to shift his base to Sathankulam from Kovilpatti for a few days to avoid traveling 100-km distance one-way.

Besides the police, the Sathankulam Judicial Magistrate B Saravanan has also come under criticism for believing the police version and not considering the injuries suffered by the father-son duo. Justice D Hariparanthaman, a former judge of the Madras High Court, said though the police has to be blamed, every other person involved has contributed to it.

“Police is responsible, but the judicial magistrate, the doctors and others have also contributed. The High Court judgment has covered all the points pertaining to the case in its order on Friday,” he told DH.

How it all started?

It all started on June 19 when Jeyaraj entered into an argument with police over keeping his shop open beyond 9 pm. He was taken into custody and Bennix arrived at the police station to meet his father who, according to Vinoth, was assaulted by the police in his presence.

“When Bennix questioned the police action, he was also arrested. We believe they were beaten the whole night with sticks and whatever came the policemen’ way as the duo were bleeding when they were taken out of the police station. Without questioning, the magistrate also remanded them,” a relative of the father-son duo said.

While Stalin said the DMK will continue its fight to get justice for Jeyaraj and Bennix, his half-sister and Thoothukudi Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi sought to know why the Government was silent on the issue.