Sathankulam custodial death case verdict expected today

The verdict in the high-profile Sathankulam custodial death case involving Jayaraj and his son J. Bennix will be delivered today by the First Additional District Sessions Court in Madurai.
The case relates to the 2020 custodial deaths of Jayaraj, a trader from Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, and his son J. Bennix, following alleged police assault, which triggered nationwide outrage.
The investigation was later taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which filed charges against nine police personnel, including then Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan. The accused were arrested and lodged in Madurai Central Prison.
During the trial, more than 100 witnesses were examined. Among those who deposed were police personnel Revathi, Beula and Sub-Inspector Ravichandran, who were attached to the Sathankulam police station at the time.
The trial, which lasted nearly six years, saw bail petitions filed by the accused being rejected by the District Court, High Court and Supreme Court.
Judge Muthukumaran had reserved the case for verdict after completion of arguments and is scheduled to pronounce the judgment at 4 p.m. today.
The case has drawn widespread attention across the country and is considered a significant development in addressing custodial violence and police accountability.