Sathankulam verdict effect: TN police told to remove torture tools from stations

CHENNAI: In the aftermath of the Sathankulam custodial death verdict, police stations across Tamil Nadu have been instructed to remove iron rods, plastic pipes and other objects used during interrogations, with officials emphasising that scientific investigation methods must replace physical force.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, senior officers have also directed that no interrogation should be conducted without the supervision of inspectors or DSPs, and that constables must not use lathis without explicit orders.

Authorities warned that officers who believe in extracting truth through violence are unfit for police service, reiterating that no legal sanction exists for such practices.

The directives follow the landmark judgment by the Madurai First Additional Sessions Court, which sentenced nine policemen, including Inspector Sridhar and sub-inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghunesh, to death for the custodial murder of P Jayaraj and his son J Bennix in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, a ruling that has sent shockwaves across the force.