Tuticorin Custodial Deaths: Lawyer moves SC seeking probe into CM’s role

Amidst the rising call for justice for the father-son duo who died while in police custody in Sathankulam, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, a public interest litigation petition has been filed before the Supreme Court stating that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswamy should refrain from holding the portfolio of the Home Minister of Tamil Nadu until the investigation in the case is complete.

The plea filed by Tamil Nadu advocate A. Rajarajan states that in the interest of a free and fair probe into the custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks, it is important to also investigate the role of the Chief Minister in his capacity as the Home Minister of the State under whose authority the State police falls. The lawyer alleges that EPS misused his official position as the Home Minister to protect the police personnel accused of the duo’s death.

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'Fair probe not possible under Palaniswamy' 

The petitioner has relied on media reports from June 24 which quoted the Chief Minister as saying that the father and son had died due to ill health, thereby refuting the claims of police brutality on the two who were taken into custody for allegedly violating lockdown norms in the State on June 19.

The petition says that a free and fair investigation into the matter would not be possible under the administrative leadership of Palaniswamy as he is heading the Home Department and further because there is a need to investigate his role in screening and safeguarding the persons accused by misusing his official capacity. 

The petition comes three days after the Madras High Court observed that there was prima facie sufficient material on record to make out a case for murder against the police officers of the Sathankulam Police Station, Thoothukudi. The observation from the High Court was made after perusal of the report filed by the Judicial Magistrate conducting the probe, which included a statement by the Head Constable Revathy, who had come forward to “spill the beans” against the culture of police brutality and custodial torture in the state.

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