MADURAI
The nine policemen accused in the case of custodial deaths of trader P. Jayaraj and his son J. Benicks in Sattankulam were produced by the CBI officials before the Madurai Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) on Wednesday for committal proceedings. The CJM will commit the case to the Madurai Principal District Judge for trial.
The CBI has filed the charge sheet against Inspector S. Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors P. Raghu Ganesh and K. Balakrishnan, head constables S. Murugan and A. Saamidurai and constables M. Muthuraj, S. Chelladurai, X. Thomas Francis and S. Veilumuthu (all of them have been suspended). Special Sub-Inspector Pauldurai, an accused in the case, died after contracting COVID-19.
The accused have been charged under Sections 120 B (party to a criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 182 (false information), 193 (false evidence), 211 (false charge of offence), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday ruled that the Madurai Principal District Judge had the jurisdiction to try the case. The accused are currently lodged in Madurai Central Prison.
