Nine policemen sentenced to death in India over Covid custody killings

Nine policemen sentenced to death in India over Covid custody killings

Following a judicial decision, nine police officers in India have received death sentences for the deaths of a father and son in custody during the early stages of the pandemic. P Jeyaraj, 58, and his son Benicks, 38, perished in a Tamil Nadu jail after being detained for allegedly violating lockdown restrictions by operating their mobile phone shop. The incident, which occurred in 2020, has sparked significant legal and public discourse.

The judge who presided over the case on Monday highlighted the brutality of the officers’ actions, stating that the father and son were stripped and subjected to savage beatings in front of one another. “They did this with the intention of killing,” the judge emphasized, calling the situation a clear abuse of authority. This verdict marks the culmination of a trial where the officers were found guilty of murder earlier this year.

“They attacked unarmed people. They should not be forgiven. They should not be given lesser sentences based on their age or family background. They are all educated,” the judge remarked, underscoring the severity of the crime.

While the nine officers face the death penalty, they retain the right to challenge their sentences. The case also revealed that ten officers were initially implicated, though one of the accused succumbed to Covid-19 during the pandemic. The incident has reignited conversations about police brutality, with rights organizations citing hundreds of deaths in custody annually across the country.

Protests erupted in Tamil Nadu, drawing state opposition leaders and activists to the streets. Rahul Gandhi and Indian cricket icon Shikhar Dhawan amplified calls for justice on social media. The case has been positioned as a pivotal moment in highlighting how torture and mistreatment are often employed to secure confessions from suspects. Earlier this year, UN experts urged India to adopt reforms aligning its policing practices with global human rights standards.