In many hindi cinema we saw Police committing third degree torture to the person who is in custody. Person is generally comes from a unprivileged background and the person does not have the capability to prove his innocence in that system. After watching this we think ofcourse this is not the reality. Film is Exaggerating the reality. But that type of incident sometimes occurs in our system.
A Father & Son due was tortured to death in Sathankulam town near Thoothukudy in Tamil Nadu. P Jeyaraj, who worked at his mobile shop on June 19th evening. An Autodriver informed police that Jeyaraj made some critical remarks against police patrolling team on duty to see shop is running according or not by the lockdown rules. By hearing this police team came and took him to the custody next day. His son J Bennix went to the police station to see his father. He saw his father physically tortured by the police team. Bennix then tried to stop it. He pushed the officer to protect his father who was in his 60s. This Provoked the police team they thrashed both father and son for hours. Total 13 officers including two sub inspectors and two constables in the torture team. The alleged lockdown violation charge that could get maximum of 3 months of imprisonment if they were guilty. On June 20 their family got to see them in Bad Shape. They were taken to Sathankulam government hospital. Both father and son had to keep changing their lungi’s at the hospital because they were getting blood soaked. Due to this Policeman ordered the family to bring dark coloured lungi . Joseph , Jeyaraj’s brother in law said after three hours in hospital they were send to Sathankulam magistrate court where the magistrate waved his hands from the first floor of the building as the police team stood outside. Both were then sent on remand to Kovilpatti sub jail. On 22 June evening they were shifted to nearby government hospital where Bennix died on June 22 Night and Jeyaraj died on June 23 Morning.
Due to this incident Tamil Nadu traders Association downed shutters across the state on June 24th . No officers has been booked though two FIRs has been filed. Judicial inquiry is in process, Postmortem report has been submitted to the Madras high court in a sealed cover. Court ordered a report from the police.
There is a history of high handedness and third degree torture methods in Tamilnadu police from the British era. This Extra judicial practices are due to flawed understandings about the criminals and their origins. We can only hope that required investigation will be done in this case. And in anybody found guilty they should face their required punishment. Money power and muscle power should not speak Law of the country should be the only decider.
