MADURAI: Pulling up the CBI and the State for delay in stating their stand on sentencing, a Madurai court on Monday granted a final adjournment till April 2 to file comprehensive views on the quantum of punishment for nine policemen convicted in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case.
Expressing displeasure, I Additional Sessions Judge Muthukumar said the case was grave and extensively reported, making the delay in furnishing inputs “unacceptable”. The court noted that while a report had been filed on behalf of the Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police, both the CBI and the State had failed to place detailed submissions on sentencing.
The CBI counsel sought time, citing delays in receiving instructions from higher authorities. Rejecting the justification, the judge directed both the Centre and the State to file their final, detailed reports without fail on April 2. All nine convicted policemen were produced before the court.
On March 23, the court had convicted all nine accused and reserved orders on sentence, specifically seeking the prosecution’s stand on punishment.
The case relates to the 2020 custodial deaths of trader Jayaraj and his son Bennix in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, following alleged police assault. The probe was later transferred to the CBI, which arrested nine policemen, including then inspector Sridhar and sub-inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan. They have since been lodged in Madurai Central Prison.
During the trial, several police personnel, including constables Revathi and Beulah and sub-inspector Ravichandran, deposed against their colleagues.