4 Police Officers Arrested for Deaths of Jayaraj & Fenix
Four police officers have been arrested in relation to the custodial death of father and son duo Jayaraj & Fenix.
An incident happened on 19th June where 59-year-old P Jayaraj and his 31-year-old son Fenix were picked up by the Sathankulam police in Thoothukudi district for violating lockdown guidelines by keeping their cell phone shop open after business hours. They died at a hospital on 23rd June. When the news of their death broke out the incident became viral on social media platforms. People all over the country were angry after the relatives said that they were brutally thrashed and sexually at the Sathankulam police station by police personnel.
Eyewitnesses had alleged that they were stripped naked, their knees were smashed and their chest hair was ripped out. They further claimed that the cops inserted metal objects into the victims’ rectum leaving them bleeding till their lungis had to be changed seven times in about 5 hours. The allegations of the severe police brutality were later confirmed in the autopsy reports.
On Wednesday 1st July, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case. They arrested two Sub-inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghuganesh on charges of murder. Thoothukudi Sub-inspector Raghuganesh is the primary accused in the murder of Jayaraj and Fenix.
As soon as the CBI took over the case Raghuganesh was the first to be arrested. Interestingly, CBI amended the two FIRs filed against the cops to include murder charges. 2 other police officers have now been arrested in connection to the case. According to reports, 12 special teams of the CBI are searching to catch the remaining accused. A total of six people have been booked for the horrific murder of the father and son who were thrashed at a police station in Thoothukoodi (Tuticorin) district in Tamil Nadu.
A female head constable, who is an important witness against the police brutality (violence), has asked for protection as she feared that her safety is important.
