9 Tamil Nadu Cops Sentenced to Death in Sathankulam Custodial Torture Case: A Historic Verdict Six Years in the Making
Father-son traders P. Jayaraj & J. Benniks were tortured to death inside a police station during COVID lockdown. Now, justice — and forensic science — speaks.
If ordinary citizens had committed the same crime, ordinary punishment could have been given, but the police themselves have committed the crime. Father and son stripped, ruthlessly assaulted… Heart shudders reading about it.
The Landmark Verdict
In a verdict that has reverberated across India's legal and human rights landscape, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai on April 6, 2026, sentenced nine police personnel to death for the custodial torture and murder of trader P. Jayaraj and his son J. Benniks. Judge G. Muthukumaran classified the case as the "rarest of rare", observing that those entrusted with protecting the public had, instead, committed a crime that shook the collective conscience of society.
The court also imposed a combined fine of ₹1.40 crore on all nine convicts, to be paid as compensation to the victims' family. As mandated by law, the trial court has forwarded the judgment to the Madras High Court for mandatory confirmation of the death sentence — a requirement in all capital punishment cases in India.
The conviction on March 23, 2026, preceded the sentencing by a fortnight. All nine were found guilty of murder, causing grievous hurt, fabricating evidence, and filing false cases against the victims. The sentence now stands as one of the most significant accountability verdicts in the history of Indian policing.
Who Were the Victims?
P. Jayaraj (59) and his son J. Benniks (also written as Bennix or Bennicks, aged 31) were mobile phone retailers from Sathankulam, a town in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) district of Tamil Nadu. Jayaraj ran a mobile accessories shop near the Kamarajar statue in town. The two men were known in their community as honest traders. Their fateful encounter with the police on the evening of June 19, 2020 — during India's COVID-19 lockdown — set off a chain of events that would grip the nation.
What Happened That Night? — A Forensic Reconstruction
According to the CBI chargesheet and eyewitness testimonies, Jayaraj was picked up by Sub-Inspector Balakrishnan, Inspector S. Sridhar, Constable M. Muthuraja, and other officials from the Kamarajar Chowk area at around 7:30 PM on June 19, 2020. The police alleged he had kept his shop open beyond the 8:00 PM COVID curfew. However, the CBI later established through CCTV footage from nearby shops that the police had arrived at the scene before the curfew even began — making the stated reason a fabrication.
When news of his father's detention reached Benniks, he rushed to the Sathankulam police station on his motorbike. He was called inside the station, after which no one was permitted to meet either of them. Friends — including lawyers — gathered outside but were turned away. The doors of the station were locked from inside. What followed, according to investigators, was a seven-hour ordeal of sustained, coordinated torture through the night of June 19–20.
- DNA Matching: The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi, confirmed DNA samples from blood splatters on the walls, bathroom floor, the SHO's room, wooden lathis, and blood-stained clothes — all matched Jayaraj and Benniks.
- Injury Count: Autopsy reports documented at least 17 injuries on Jayaraj and 13 on Benniks, consistent with severe blunt-force trauma. Combined post-mortem findings showed 18 total injuries.
- Blunt-Force Trauma: Injuries from lathis and other weapons were consistent with repeated, sustained beatings — not a single incident.
- Rectal Bleeding: Both victims suffered profuse internal bleeding from rectal injuries — a hallmark of sexual and extreme physical violence. They required change of multiple garments (lungis) due to blood loss.
- Medical Negligence: Despite visible severe injuries, Dr. N. Vinila, medical officer at Sathankulam Government Hospital, declared them "fit for remand" the next morning — a finding that itself became part of the scandal.
- Evidence Tampering: CCTV footage from inside the station was allegedly not preserved (recordings auto-erased daily). The accused forced the victims to clean their own blood and changed their blood-soaked clothes multiple times to conceal evidence.
- CBI Chargesheet: Filed on September 25, 2020, and supplemented on August 12, 2022 — a mammoth 2,427-page document covering 135 witnesses (52 examined during trial).
The CBI chargesheet narrated that Inspector Sridhar repeatedly instigated officers during lulls in violence, urging them to continue beating. The victims' clothes were removed to intensify the brutality. After the night-long assault, the two were made to clean the blood from the floors with their own clothing. A sanitary worker was later called in to wipe away remaining evidence. A false FIR was registered against them under multiple sections of the IPC — including Sections 188, 269, 294(b), 353, and 506(2).
On the morning of June 20, they were produced before the magistrate at Sathankulam in visibly injured condition. The magistrate, D. Saravanan, reportedly stood at his balcony and waved the police to take them away — without physically examining the duo or speaking to them, citing COVID protocols. They were sent to Kovilpatti sub-jail, 100 kilometres away, where their condition rapidly deteriorated.
The Deaths
Benniks died on June 22, 2020 at Kovilpatti Government Hospital at 9:00 PM, from heavy internal bleeding. Jayaraj died on June 23, 2020 at 4:30 AM, from injuries that included a punctured lung. The police initially claimed both had died due to "illness" and "breathing difficulties" — claims that the subsequent CBI investigation, and ultimately the court, found to be entirely false.
Case Timeline
The Nine Convicted Officers
| # | Name | Rank / Designation | Role (per CBI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S. Sridhar | Inspector / SHO, Sathankulam PS | Primary instigator; urged officers to intensify beatings |
| 2 | P. Raghu Ganesh | Sub-Inspector | Participated in assault; violence escalated after his arrival |
| 3 | K. Balakrishnan | Sub-Inspector | Initiated assault on Benniks; part of core group |
| 4 | S. Murugan | Head Constable | Active participant in custodial torture |
| 5 | A. Samadurai | Head Constable | Active participant in custodial torture |
| 6 | M. Muthuraja | Police Constable | Part of arrest team; active in assault |
| 7 | S. Chelladurai | Police Constable | Active participant |
| 8 | X. Thomas Francis | Police Constable | Active participant |
| 9 | S. Veilumuthu | Police Constable | Active participant |
Note: A 10th accused, Special Sub-Inspector P. Pauldurai, died during trial after contracting COVID-19. The case proceeded against the remaining nine.
The Investigation: How Forensics Cracked the Case
This case is a textbook example of how forensic science can pierce through layers of institutional cover-up. With CCTV footage from inside the station deliberately erased or unavailable, and with a coordinated attempt to clean the crime scene, investigators from the CBI faced enormous challenges. Yet the physical evidence left behind was damning.
The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi, conducted DNA profiling of biological samples collected from multiple locations inside the Sathankulam police station during the judicial inquiry led by the Kovilpatti Magistrate. Blood on the walls, the SHO's room floor, the bathroom floor, and crucially, the wooden lathis seized from the accused officers — all tested positive for the DNA of Jayaraj and Benniks. This forensic chain of evidence left no room for reasonable doubt.
Postmortem examinations documented blunt-force injuries consistent with repeated beating. The nature and distribution of injuries across both bodies confirmed a coordinated, sustained assault — not a momentary altercation. The CBI's forensic report established that the torture lasted over seven hours on the night of June 19–20.
A pivotal human element came from a woman head constable on duty that night. In a courageous act of conscience, she testified before the court that the father and son were beaten throughout the night and that blood stains were found on tables and lathis inside the station. Her account was corroborated by CCTV footage from nearby shops, which contradicted the official police version of events regarding when the arrests were made and the condition of the men when brought in.
The "Rarest of Rare" Standard — Legal Significance
In India, the death penalty is awarded only in cases that meet the "rarest of rare" threshold established by the Supreme Court in Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980). Courts must weigh aggravating and mitigating circumstances before arriving at capital punishment. Judge Muthukumaran's findings are notable for several reasons:
The court emphasised that the identity of the perpetrators — sworn law enforcement officers — was a profound aggravating factor. Unlike ordinary criminals, these men were vested with constitutional authority and public trust. The judge noted that all nine convicts were educated and should have known better. The assault was premeditated, organised, and sustained — not a spontaneous act of passion. The subsequent cover-up, involving destruction of evidence and filing false FIRs, demonstrated deliberate criminal intent.
The court also made clear that the verdict was not a reflection on the entire Tamil Nadu police force, acknowledging that the majority of officers serve with integrity. "They attacked unarmed people. They should not be forgiven. They should not be given lesser sentences based on their age or family background," the judge stated during sentencing.
Public & Political Reaction
The 2020 deaths had triggered unprecedented protests — traders shut shops across Thoothukudi, state opposition lawmakers hit the streets, and the incident drew comparisons to global movements against police brutality. Retired Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju described the incident as worse than the Nirbhaya case.
Following the April 2026 verdict, Tamil Nadu Congress President K. Selvaperunthagai welcomed the judgment while noting he personally opposes the death penalty in principle: "Two innocent people were brutally assaulted and killed; this cannot be forgiven by anyone." The DMK government took credit for facilitating the CBI probe, while the AIADMK countered that it was the then-CM Palaniswami who had ordered the CBI inquiry. The victim's wife, Selvarani, carrying 2,117 days of grief, saw justice delivered — a first-of-its-kind ruling in Indian police accountability.
Human Rights Perspective
Amnesty International, in response to the verdict, called it an important step while cautioning that the death penalty alone will not end custodial torture in India. The organisation cited NCRB data showing that between 1999 and 2023, over 2,200 people died in police custody across India — yet convictions remained exceptionally rare, with zero convictions recorded in custodial death cases between 2018 and 2023.
The Sathankulam case has now become a watershed moment — demonstrating that robust forensic investigation, an independent investigative agency (CBI), judicial monitoring by the High Court, and courageous witness testimony can together pierce the "blue wall of silence" that typically shields police brutality.
What Happens Next?
Under Indian law, a death sentence awarded by a Sessions Court must be confirmed by the High Court before it can be executed. The Madurai court has already forwarded the judgment to the Madras High Court for this mandatory review. The convicts also have the right to appeal their sentences through successive courts, including the Supreme Court of India and a mercy petition to the President. The legal journey, while significantly advanced, is not yet over.
- DNA forensics — even from surfaces like walls, floors, and weapons — can establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, even years after a crime.
- Postmortem documentation of injury patterns (number, location, nature) is critical in distinguishing custodial violence from natural death.
- Evidence tampering (erasing CCTV, cleaning blood) can itself become probative — courts and investigators know what to look for.
- Eyewitness testimony, especially from insiders with direct knowledge, can corroborate physical evidence decisively.
- This case underscores the vital importance of independent forensic agencies (like CFSL) working in coordination with investigative bodies free from local police interference.
📰 Sources & References
- The Tribune India — Custodial torture case: 9 Tamil Nadu cops sentenced to death for brutal killing of father-son duo
tribuneindia.com/news/india/custodial-murder-9-tamil-nadu-cops-sentenced-to-death… - The News Minute — Death sentence for 9 cops who tortured and killed Benniks and Jeyaraj in Sathankulam
thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/death-sentence-for-9-cops… - Republic World — 'Abuse Of Authority': Court Gives Death Sentence To 9 Tamil Nadu Cops
republicworld.com/india/abuse-of-authority… - The Week — Sathankulam custodial torture: Madurai court sentences all 9 cops to death
theweek.in/news/india/2026/04/06/sathankulam-custodial-torture… - ANI News — Sathankulam custodial death case: Madurai court awards death penalty to 9 police personnel
aninews.in/news/national/general-news/sathankulam-custodial-death-case… - The Quint — Jayaraj-Bennix Custodial Deaths: Family's Five-Year-Long Wait Ends With Death Penalty
thequint.com/news/jayaraj-bennix-custodial-deaths… - Asianet Newsable — Sathankulam Father-Son Custodial Death Case Explained
newsable.asianetnews.com/india/sattankulam-jayaraj-benniks… - The Print — 9 Tamil Nadu cops convicted over father-son custodial death in Covid. A look back
theprint.in/judiciary/9-tamil-nadu-cops-convicted… - Kerala Kaumudi Online — Sathankulam verdict: Death sentence for nine cops who murdered father and son
keralakaumudi.com/en/news/…sathankulam-custodial-death-verdict - Wikipedia — Death of P. Jayaraj and J. Bennix
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_P._Jayaraj_and_J._Bennix - Republic World — Benniks-Jeyaraj duo had 18 injuries; faced brutal torture before death: CBI report
republicworld.com/india/crime/benniks-jeyaraj-duo-had-18-injuries… - Amnesty International — India: Death penalty for nine police officers will not end custodial torture
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/04/india-death-penalty-for-nine-police-officers… - India Blooms — Tamil Nadu custodial torture, killing of father-son duo: All 9 accused cops get death sentence
indiablooms.com/…/tamil-nadu-court-sentences-9-cops-to-death…
