Tamil Nadu: Five Cops Arrested By CB-CID For Murder Of Father-Son In Tuticorin Custodial Death Case

Five Tamil Nadu policemen have been arrested in the custodial deaths of two men in the town of Tuticorin. a father & son were allegedly tortured by cops after keeping their shop open 15 minutes longer than allowed amid the COVID-19 lockdown. Inspector Sridhar, sub Inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan and constable Murugan & Muthuraj have been arrested by the Crime Branch of Tamil Nadu's CID (Criminal Investigation Department) under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police had earlier only registered cases of suspicious deaths. Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, which conducted its own inquiry into the shocking incident, had asked the CB-CID to take over the case from Tuticorin Police until the CBI, to whom the case has been handed over, takes charge. In an official statement on the incident the Chief Minister and his deputy, O Pannerselvam, called the deaths "very unfortunate" and vowed justice to the family members. Jeyaraj, 59, and his son Bennicks , 31, were arrested on June 19 for keeping their mobile phone shop open 15 minutes longer than allowed during the lockdown.