'Father-son duo in TN died hours after admission to hospital'

A Government Order on Monday, transferring the case of deaths of the duo to the CBI, sequenced the events right from the arrest of the duo, Jeyaraj and his son Bennicks till their death at a hospital.

The two men were arrested on June 19 for violation of prohibitory orders and produced before the duty doctor of a government hospital at Sathankulam in Tuticorin district for mandatory medical-examination, the GO said.

The next day, a magistrate remanded them to judicial custody and they were lodged at the Kovilpatti sub-jail.

Bennicks was admitted at the government hospital in Kovilpatti by jail authorities on June 22 at 19.45 hours and he died at 21.00 hours while he was undergoing treatment.

His father Jeyaraj was also admitted to the same facility at 22.30 hours on the same day and he died at 05.40 hours on June 23, the order said.

In the backdrop of outrage against their deaths following alleged police brutality,Chief Minister K Palaniswami had on Sunday said that the case would be probed by the CBI and the Madras HighCourt's Madurai bench would be apprised of the decision.

The Director General of Police has requested the government to transfer the case to CBI to "facilitate a free and fair" investigation and it was accepted after careful consideration, the government said in its order, transferring the case to the premier Central probe agency.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court also observed on Monday that it was the policy decision of the state government to transfer the case to the CBI, the order pointed out.