Kovilpatti jail remand register could prove key to probe

After both the injured Jayaraj and Bennix were lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail on June 20, a senior civil surgeon, deputed on sub-jail visiting duty, examined the condition of the injured father and son and advised them to take medicines. Before admitting any accused to prison, the authorities would check for doctor’s report, which either says the offender was treated as ‘out-patient’ or advises for hospital treatment.

In this case, the doctor in Sathankulam Government Hospital, who certified fitness of Jayaraj and Bennix before taking them to the Kovilpatti jail, could have given ‘OP’ (out-patient) sheet to the Sathankulam police personnel, without gauging the seriousness of injuries inflicted on them, and the magistrate could have mechanically passed the remand order.

N Dhanaraj, a lawyer from Kovilpatti, said three CCTV cameras in the vicinity of Kovilpatti DSP camp office and another camera between court campus and the sub-jail entry also could come into play in the investigation.

Meanwhile, one more constable was arrested by the CB-CID in connection with custodial deaths of father-son traders in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district. Muthuraj, who evaded arrest after the detention of his fellow police personnel, was nabbed by the CB-CID team near Ottapidaram in the district on Friday night after tracking down his mobile phone signals. The accused was then produced before Thoothukudi Chief Judicial Magistrate S Hema and remanded in judicial custody, before being lodged in Perurani jail, Thoothukudi, sources said.

CB-CID Inspector General K Shankar said so far five including the suspended Inspector of Police S Srithar, two other suspended SIs and a head constable have been arrested in connection with the custodial deaths.

Talking to reporters in Thoothukudi on Saturday, the IG said the accused would be taken into custody in a week for further interrogation in various angles since it requires time to examine witnesses, forensic reports and other key evidence and verifying of documents pertaining to their deaths.