Six years. Two lives. Nine convictions. Nine death sentences.
Today, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai sentenced all nine police officers convicted in the Sathankulam custodial murder case to death — one sentence for each life they took. Jayaraj and Bennix, a father and son who ran a mobile phone shop, were picked up for a minor COVID lockdown violation and never came home.
Judge Muthukumaran classified this as the "rarest of rare" cases — not just because of the brutality, but because those who committed it were the very people entrusted to uphold the law. The court also ordered the convicted officers to pay Rs. 1.40 crore in compensation to the victims' family.
This verdict does not bring back Jayaraj or Bennix. But it sends an unambiguous message: custodial violence is murder, and the uniform is not a shield.
The case now heads to the High Court for mandatory confirmation of the death sentences. The fight for justice continues — but today, it took a significant step forward.
#JusticeForJayarajAndBennix #Sathankulam #CustodialJustice #NeverForget #TamilNadu
Deepak Kumar Vasudevan