Centre has notified CBI taking over Sathankulam case: TN govt

Following Chief Minister K Palanisami's letter to Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a probe by the Central agency into the deaths of Jeyaraj and Bennicks, "the Central government has now issued a notification (on CBI taking over investigation into the case)," an official release here said.

After announcing a CBI probe recently, Palaniswami had written to the Home Minister. The CB-CID is presently handling the case as per the direction of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

The CB-CID also altered the first information report (FIR) registered on the death of Jeyaraj and Bennicks as a murder case from the earlier charge of suspicious death.

Five police personnel including an inspector have been arrested so far.

The five arrested policemen are: Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghu Ganesh, Head Constable Murugan and Constable Muthuraj.

Ganesh was remanded to custody till July 16 on late Wednesday.

Bennicks and Jeyaraj died on June 22 and 23 respectively after alleged torture by Sathankulam police in Tuticorin district following their arrest on June 19.

They were arrested for alleged violation of prohibitory orders in force due to COVID-19 lockdown by keeping their mobile phone shop in the district beyond the allowed time.