JOIN USSI arrested; Murder charges slapped against 6 in custodial deaths case in Tamil Nadu
Crime-Branch CID on Wednesday slapped murder charges on six people, including two sub-inspectors, and arrested one of them as it took over the probe into the alleged custodial torture leading to the death of a father-son duo in Tamil Nadu, amid intense judicial scrutiny and nation-wide outrage. Within hours of taking over the probe on the directions of the Madras High Court, the specialised investigating agency altered the FIRs to include murder charges against SIs Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan, as many constables and members of Friends of Police (volunteers) of the Sathankulam police station, CB-CID sources said.
While Ragu Ganesh was arrested by the CB-CID, which took over the investigation following an order from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, special police teams have been formed to nab five other policemen who are said to be involved in the case.
Sub-inspector Balakrishnan, constables Murugan, Muthuraj, Sellathurai and Maharajan are the five others whose names have been included. However, the name of Sridhar, the inspector who was in-charge of the Sathankulam police station, was missing.
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 for 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 had demolished all the “lies” in the FIR.
Sources said the first arrest made after altering the FIR against the policemen to 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Ragu Ganesh will be produced before a magistrate following which he is likely to be sent to CB-CID custody for interrogation.
The altering of the FIR comes 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.
The police woman had told the Judicial Magistrate probing the case that the father-son duo were 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.
The district administration has also sent her on leave following a suggestion by the High Court which also expressed the fear that “there will be an attempt to intimidate her and make her resile from her version” given to the JM.
The first arrest in the case comes hours after Anil Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CB-CID, Tirunelveli who was appointed as the Investigating Officer (IO) by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, took charge of the case.
The case was transferred to the CB-CID by the Madurai Bench, which had on Tuesday expressed the fear that crucial evidence could get dissipated by the time the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe.
Meanwhile, Tamil actor Rajinikanth also broke his silence over the issue on Twitter by posting a picture of him quite angry.
"I was shocked at the behaviour of the policemen who had the audacity to behave the way they did before the Judicial Magistrate even after the human race condemned their inhuman act. "Everyone involved in the crime should be punished. They should not be let off," he wrote.
After taking Jeyaraj and Bennix into custody during which they were alleged to have been tortured, the police shifted them to the Kovilpatti sub-jail on June 21. However, the son died on June 22 and the father on June 23 due to injuries sustained during the custody.
(With inputs from PTI)