The CBI has filed a charge sheet against 9 then police officials in a Madurai Court in connection with the custodial death of a father-son duo in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the accused include then Station House Officer S Sridhar, sub-inspectors K Balakrishnan & P Raghuganesh, then head constables S Murugan & A Samadurai, & then constables M Muthuraja, S Chelladurai, X Thomas Francis & S Veilumuthu.

The charge sheet has been filed under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 201 (disappearance of evidence), 182 (false information with the intent to cause public servant to use lawful power to the injury of another person), 193 (false evidence), 211 (false charge of offence made with the intent to injure), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) & 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The CBI said that all the Police personnel have been arrested & are currently undergoing judicial custody. It said that one more accused, a then sub-inspector, had died during the course of the investigation.

In a statement CBI said that "CBI investigation revealed that the father-son duo were arrested in the evening of June 19, 2020, & allegedly tortured at the Sathankulam Police Station by the accused in the evening as well as in the intervening night, consequent to which both of them succumbed to the injuries & died in the intervening night of June 22 & 23".

Notably, probe agency officials said that 9 CBI team members, while camping in Tamil Nadu in connection with the case, tested positive for COVID-19. A CBI team had camped continuously at Madurai & worked on the cases even amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

The statement said that "The investigation also established that to cover up misdeeds the police officials not only destroyed the evidence of torture but also registered false cases against both (father & son). As they had not closed their mobile shops even after the permitted time & thereby violated general prohibited order. Further investigations are continuing in the case to look into the role of other persons in the death as well as subsequent cover-up act".

The CBI had registered two cases on July 7, 2020, in connection with the alleged custodial death of a father-son duo identified as P Jeyaraj & J Benniks in Kovilpatti on the request of the Govt of Tamil Nadu & further notification from the Central Govt. 

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