A sessions court in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district on Monday sentenced nine police personnel to death for their role in the custodial deaths of trader P. Jayaraj and his son J. Benicks in Thoothukudi’s Sathankulam in 2020 — a case that had shaken the country.

Those convicted include Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghu Ganesh, along with police staff Murugan, Samadurai, Muthuraja, Chelladurai, Thomas Francis and Veilumuthu.

While pronouncing the judgment, the court described the incident as a blatant misuse of official authority. It observed that the brutality inflicted on the father and son was deeply disturbing and noted that such acts cannot be justified under any circumstances. The judge remarked that public servants drawing salaries from the state cannot claim work pressure or stress as an excuse for extreme misconduct. At the same time, the court clarified that the ruling was not meant to create fear among honest police officers serving in the state.

The prosecution had argued that the crime fell under the “rarest of rare” category, warranting the harshest possible punishment. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which handled the case, had sought either capital punishment or life imprisonment without remission, citing the shocking nature of the offence and testimonies from direct witnesses.

The incident dates back to June 19, 2020, when Jayaraj and Benicks, who operated a mobile accessories shop, were detained for allegedly violating Covid-19 lockdown timings — an allegation that was later found to be unfounded. They were taken to the Sathankulam police station and subsequently sent to judicial custody. Both died within days of their arrest.

Family members had alleged severe custodial torture, pointing to multiple injuries and signs of physical assault. During the investigation, a woman constable reportedly testified that the two were beaten through the night and that blood stains were visible inside the station premises.

The probe, transferred to the CBI from the state’s CB-CID on the directions of the Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench, led to the arrest of 10 police personnel. Murder charges were invoked against the accused. Investigators also had to contend with missing CCTV footage from the station, which was allegedly not preserved and automatically deleted.

The trial extended over five years, during which more than 100 witnesses were examined before the court delivered its verdict.