- Title: India's father-son death in police custody sparks outrage
- Date: 28th June 2020
- Summary: THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (RECENT-JUNE 22, 2020) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) (NIGHT SHOTS) POLICEMEN AND OTHERS STANDING OUTSIDE HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF BODY OF MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY BEING TAKEN ON STRETCHER POLICEMEN TALKING TO MAN POLICEMEN LOOKING AT PAPERS THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (RECENT-JUNE 23, 2020) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) RELATIVES AND OTHERS SITTING AND PROTESTING OUTSIDE HOSPITAL AS POLICEMEN STAND PROTESTERS RAISING SLOGANS VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN TALKING TO PROTESTERS THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (RECENT-JUNE 26, 2020) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF CLOSED SHOPS AND LOCKED SHUTTERS IN MARKET AREA THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (JUNE 28, 2020) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) (SOUNDBITE) (Approximate Tamil Translation) CHIEF OF INDIA'S SOUTHERN TAMIL NADU STATE, EDAPPADI K. PALANISWAMI, SAYING: "In Thoothukodi district, Sathankulam mobile shop was run by Jayaraj and his son Bennicks. There was an issue between them and police regarding the closure of their shop and police filed FIR (report) and lodged in Kovilpatti Sub-Jail in court custody. Both of them were later admitted in Kovilpatti Hospital and died. Regarding this issue, Madurai bench of Madras High Court has taken suo moto case and has started an investigation. The government of Tamil Nadu has decided CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to intervene in the case. While the case hearing in Madurai bench of Madras High Court, the government will inform this and get permission from the court and case will be handed over to CBI." THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (RECENT-JUNE 26, 2020) (ANI -NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF LAWMAKER KANIMOZHI, VISITING HOUSE OF FATHER AND SON WHO ALLEGEDLY DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY
- Embargoed: 12th July 2020 14:05
- Keywords: Edappadi K. Palaniswami Father India THOOTHUKUDI Tamil Nadu custodial death police son
- Location: THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
- City: THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKAAA8F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART QUALITY AS INCOMING
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
Outrage at the death of a father-son duo in the custody of Indian police earlier this week mounted on Saturday (June 27), with thousands on social media comparing the incident to the death of George Floyd in the United States.
J Jayaraj, 59, and Bennicks Immanuel, 31, were subjected to a brutal thrashing, which resulted in rectal bleeding and eventual death, according to a letter to government officials written by Jayaraj's wife J Selvarani.
Police in Sathankulam, a town located 50 km (31 miles) south of the port city of Thoothukudi in southern Tamil Nadu state, said in a first information report (FIR) that Jayaraj and Bennicks were picked up on Friday (June 19) for breaching coronavirus lockdown rules.
Bennicks died on Monday (June 22) after complaining of breathlessness and Jayaraj died Tuesday (June 23), Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, who oversees the police in the state, said in a statement. Two policemen involved in the incident had been suspended, he added.
Hundreds of thousands of tweets were sent out using the hashtag #JusticeforJayarajandBennix, that was among the top Twitter topics trending in India and among the top 30 trending globally, with celebrities and politicians condemning police action.
Chief of the state said in an address that the case will be transferred to nodal investigative agency, Central Bureau of Investigation.
Nearly 15 cases of custodial violence and torture were reported in every day on average, with 9 people dying in judicial or police custody every 24 hours, according to the latest annual report by India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the year 2017/18.
The NHRC said in its report that some custodial deaths were reported after a considerable delay or not reported at all, adding violence in custody was so rampant "that it has become almost routine". - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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