New Delhi, October 27: Hours-long torture by police personnel caused deaths of P Jeyaraj and his son J Bennicks in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, formerly known as Tuticorin, according to the chargsheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The accused cops tortured Jeyara and Bennicks from 7:45 pm to 3 am on the intervening night of June 19 and 20, said the CBI chargesheet. The CBI also said the father-son duo did not violate COVID-19 guidelines. Tuticorin Custodial Deaths Case: All About The Killing of Jayaraj and Bennicks That Has Drawn Parallels With George Floyd's Murder.

Jeyaraj and Bennicks, who ran a cellphone shop, were arrested and taken to Sathankulam police station on June 19 for alleged violation of prohibitory orders. Bennicks died on June 22 and Jeyaraj the next day at a hospital. The two were subjected to "several rounds of brutal torture with intervals in between 7.45 pm and 3 am", said the CBI chargsheet. They didn't violate lockdown guidelines and false cases were registered against them by the accused cops, the CBI concluded. Tuticorin Custodial Deaths: Tamil Nadu Govt Removes Thoothukudi SP, S Jeyakumar to Replace Him.

The chargesheet also stated that Jeyaraj and Bennicks were beaten so brutally that blood was splattered on the walls of the Sathankulam police station. Accused cops made Bennicks clean the bloodstains in the police station using his vest, it added. The accused include nine suspended policemen of the Sathankulam police station.

They are former inspector, two former sub-inspectors, two former head constables and four former constables. The central probe agency had registered two cases on the allegations of custodial death of Jeyaraj and Bennicks on the request of the Tamil Nadu government and further notification from the government of India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 27, 2020 11:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).