Accused in Sathankulam case alleges threat to life

MADURAI: The prime accused Sridhar, former Inspector of Police, in a case concerning custodial deaths of father and son Jayaraj and Bennix in Sathankulam in June 2020, said his life is under threat from eight of his fellow accused in jail.

In a letter to the District and Sessions Judge, Madurai, at the end of March this year, Sridhar sought adequate protection and added that he knew what exactly happened at Sathankulam police station, where Jeyaraj and his son Bennix suffered through an agonising night.

On March 26 this year, four of his fellow accused, including ‘A-6, A-4, A-7 and A-9’ went on to attack him after scolding in filthy words. The incident inside the central jail in Madurai was recorded on CCTV. Whenever the case came up for hearing in the court, the fellow accused, who accompanied him by a vehicle, were causing serious disturbances that keep rising day by day, sources said on Tuesday. Citing these, Sridhar sought the Judge to either shift him to another cell in the same prison or else to a prison in Coimbatore. He also sought a separate escort with a vehicle to protect himself from any attack by the fellow accused.

Further sources said the Judge felt that there’s no need to entertain such demands and disregarded it.