Sattankulam case: family thank judiciary, people for support

Sattankulam case: family thank judiciary, people for support

Family members of trader P. Jayaraj (58) and his son J. Benicks (31), who died in custodial torture at Sattankulam police station in Thoothukudi district six years ago, on Monday said the trial court judgment in the case should serve as a deterrent and no such incident should take place.

The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai awarded death sentences to all the nine police personnel convicted by the court in the custodial deaths case.

Addressing journalists on the Madurai District Court premises following the verdict, J. Persis (daughter of Jayaraj and elder sister of Benicks) thanked the people for their support. The incident had sparked widespread protests.

She also thanked the judiciary and recollected that the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and passed a slew of directions. On the appeal provision, she said that they would fight the case till the very end. She said such incidents like the Sattankulam incident should not take place and no family should go through what they had gone through.

Executive Director of People’s Watch Henri Tiphagne said the trial court had elaborately discussed the sentencing and exclusively discussed on torture and why it should not take place. The judgment also dealt with how the police were violating the guidelines.

Appreciating the trial court for the manner in which the case was conducted, he said it was a victim centric criminal justice system, and the case was conducted in that manner. However, while agreeing with most part of the judgment, he said, the convicts should have been awarded life imprisonment considering reformation.