Madurai, April 6 (NationPress) In a significant ruling that has reignited discussions nationwide regarding custodial violence, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai has sentenced nine police officers to death for their involvement in the 2020 Sattankulam custodial deaths case.

This case revolves around the tragic deaths of trader P. Jayaraj (58) and his son J. Benicks (31), who reportedly succumbed to severe torture while in police custody. The court had, on March 23, 2026, declared all nine defendants guilty but postponed the sentencing phase.

In today's announcement of the sentence, the court upheld the prosecution's assertion that this case fell into the category of 'rarest of rare' crimes, meriting capital punishment.

During the sentencing deliberations, both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the legal representatives for the victims' family advocated strongly for the maximum sentence.

They contended that the victims were subjected to horrific torture throughout the night at the Sattankulam police station, despite committing no grave offense.

The extreme brutality, they argued, warranted the utmost penalty under the law.

The incident triggered a wave of outrage across the nation in 2020, leading the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court to take suo motu cognizance.

Consequently, the investigation was shifted from the state police to the CBI by the then AIADMK government to guarantee an unbiased inquiry.

Initially, ten police officers were implicated in the case, but one, Special Sub-Inspector Pauldurai, passed away after contracting COVID-19 during the trial, leaving nine to face legal action.

The CBI submitted its initial charge sheet in September 2020, followed by a supplementary charge sheet in August 2022, outlining the events and evidence collected.

The investigation revealed that Jayaraj was apprehended from his store near the Kamaraj statue on the evening of June 19, 2020. His son Benicks subsequently arrived at the police station upon hearing of the arrest and was also detained after a confrontation with the officers.

Both victims reportedly endured severe custodial brutality throughout the night. The CBI reported that they were brutally beaten, forced to clean their own blood, and later falsely accused in another case.

Evidence, which includes witness statements, medical documentation, and video footage analysis, indicated a deliberate attempt to eliminate evidence of the crime.

Considering these findings, the court concluded that the accused had intentionally inflicted fatal injuries, resulting in the deaths of the father and son, thus justifying the death sentence.