6th APRIL 2026 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS
Sathankulam Murder Case - Death Sentence for 9 Police Personnel – Madurai District Court Verdict
- Jeyaraj (58), a merchant from Sathankulam in the Thoothukudi district, and his son Bennix (31) died while in police custody during an interrogation. In connection with this incident, ten individuals were arrested: the then-Inspector of Police Sridhar; Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan, Raghu Ganesh, and Baldurai; and Constables Murugan, Muthuraj, Samidurai, Chelladurai, Veyilumuthu, and Thomas.
- Among them, Sub-Inspector Baldurai passed away due to ill health. Consequently, he was discharged from the case, while the remaining nine individuals remain incarcerated.
- On the 23rd of last month, the Madurai District Court ruled that the charges leveled by the CBI in this case were substantiated and declared all the accused police personnel guilty.
- In light of this, the case came up for hearing again on Thursday before Judge Muthukumaran of the Madurai District First Additional Court. During the proceedings, all nine individuals—including the then-Inspector Sridhar—who had been declared guilty, appeared before the Judge.
- The Judge individually questioned each of the nine individuals regarding details such as their family background, educational qualifications, and assets. All nine provided their explanations and presented their respective pleas to the Judge.
- Advocate Vijayan, representing the CBI, presented his arguments, asserting that the maximum penalty—the death sentence—should be imposed upon the convicts. He cited a previous Supreme Court ruling stating that the death penalty may be awarded in rare cases involving custodial brutality within police stations.
- Subsequently, when the case came up for hearing today, the Judge pronounced his verdict, sentencing all nine individuals to death.
