Madras HC extends deadline to finish trial in custodial death case

The counsel on behalf of the trial court sought additional time to complete the prosecution informing that COVID restrictions caused the delay.

Jeyaraj and his son J Bennix died in June last year allegedly due to torture by the Sathankulam police, Thoothukudi district, and 10 police personnel, including the then Inspector Sridhar, were arrested in connection with the incident.

Selvarani, wife of Jeyaraj, filed a petition before the High Court to expedite the trial and arrest those responsible for the death of her husband and son. The High Court in March this year directed the lower court in Madurai to conduct a fair trial and complete it within six months.

Meanwhile, the counsel for CBI, which is probing, said electronic evidence related to the case has already sent to a forensic testing lab in Gujarat and results were awaited. Hence, the counsel sought more time to complete the case. Citing these, the counsel sought five more months to complete the trial. Justice K Murali Shankar heeded the request.

Earlier, on Thursday evening, Ravichandran during his tenure as SSI in Sathankulam police station, one of the witnesses, in his testimony to the trial court said both Jeyaraj and Bennix were tortured at Sathankulam station on June 19 last year and the personnel tampered with the documents by foisting a false case against the father–son duo.

The first additional district sessions court judge V Padmanabhan, after hearing the testimonies, adjourned the case to December 21.