Indian Policemen Sentenced to Death for Custodial Killings

On a Monday, a district court in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, sentenced nine policemen to death for the custodial killings of Jeyaraj, 59, and his son Bennik, 31, in 2020. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reported that the two men were arrested for allegedly violating COVID-19 lockdown rules by keeping their mobile shop open beyond permitted hours.

They were subjected to brutal torture while in custody, which led to their deaths. The case, which drew significant public outrage, prompted the Tamil Nadu government to transfer it to the CBI, which filed charges against the nine officers within 90 days.

The court's decision is considered a rare instance of severe punishment for police brutality in India, where executions are infrequent, the last being in March 2020 for a gang rape and murder case that sparked nationwide protests.