They are plotting to kill me: Ex cop alleges threat from other accused in custodial death case

Sreedhar, a former inspector facing charges for the custodial death of a father and son in 2020, said he is facing threats to life from other accused in jail. He said they are trying to stop him from ""revealing the truth".

Sreedhar, a former inspector currently in jail for his involvement in the Sathankulam custodial death case has written to Madurai High Court judge saying the other accused in the case are plotting to kill him, fearing he will reveal the truth about the death of the father-son duo, Jayaraj and Bennix.

On June 18, 2020, Jayaraj and Bennix were brutally beaten by four Tamil Nadu policemen for allegedly violating lockdown rules imposed by the state government. They died a few days later.

In his letter, Sreedhar said that he had asked accused policemen as to why they had beaten up Jayaraj and Bennix in custody. He further claimed that the other accused were trying to attack him inside the jail to silence him from speaking 'the truth'.

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Sreedhar said in his letter that he had requested his transfer to another block or to another jail due to the alleged torture by the other accused. The former inspector said he had been abused verbally and there were even attempts to attack him in the jail as well, for which he said the proof can be found in CCTV footage from jail.

He further wrote in the letter that whenever they are taken to court and back, he receives constant death threats from other accused. Sreedhar requested the high court to keep him away from the other accused in the case and also to provide him with a separate vehicle to travel to court and back.

According to CBI, Jayaraj and Bennix were tortured and sexually assaulted inside the police station, leading to their deaths. The case sparked outrage over police brutality in the state. More than 1,000 people took to the streets to demand justice.