The TLDR: A father and son—P. Jayaraj and J. Bennicks—were severely assaulted and tortured by three policemen in a town called Sathankulam near Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. Both later died of their injuries. A closer look at the case reveals a history of police violence—which in turn is inextricably linked to caste politics in Tamil Nadu. (Trigger warning: the details of this case are extremely disturbing.)
What happened here?
There are multiple and confusing accounts of the timeline. But here is the essential gist:
How can they do this… in front of everyone?
Because the cops involved have done it before—and gotten away with it. At the heart of this killing are three policemen: Inspector Sridhar and Sub Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghuganesh. They all have a long history of custodial violence. The two most recent cases are as follows:
So this is an Indian ‘George Floyd’ case?
Yes, but since it is India, there are caste-related issues. Thoothukudi is the battleground for an ongoing conflict between the Konars (or Yadhavas) and Nadars—both of whom are designated as Backward Classes. There are both Hindu and Christian Nadars, and they have the upper hand in the region.
But that changed in Sathankulam with the arrival of one of the Sub Inspectors: Raghuganesh, who is Konar. According to local panchayat leaders, “[H]e is alleged to have foisted false cases on members from other castes and beaten them in the police station. He is also said to have imposed a ‘caste tax’ on non-Konar members of the villages, a move opposed by the majority of the people.”
Point to note: Mahendran, Jayaraj and Bennicks all belong to the Nadar caste.
So what happens now?
Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami has transferred the case to the CBI. But only after he tried to dismiss the deaths: “The father died due to respiratory illness and the son died of heart attack.” Four police officers have been suspended—including the now infamous trio. And he’s announced a Rs 10 lakh compensation to the victims’ family. Great outrage has been expressed by politicians—both state and national.
The bottomline: 1,731 people died in custody in India during 2019—that’s about five a day. Torture methods included: hammering nails into the body, electric shock, pouring petrol and chili powder on private parts, branding with hot iron rod, urinating in mouth etc. This NGO report has a lot more. FYI: The case has already receded from national headlines.
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