Custodial death of father, son leads to storm in Tamil Nadu; celebrities pitch in to demand justice

The custodial deaths of a father and son in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district has led to a major outrage with celebrities, including cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, and political parties demanding justice for the men who were taken to a police station following an argument and sent home back as lifeless bodies.

The death also triggered a massive political outrage with principal Opposition DMK leading the call for “strict action” against policemen involved in the “horrific incident” and demanding answers from Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Also Read: Father, son die after being 'tortured' in police custody in Tamil Nadu

In a video released on Friday, Stalin said the buck stops at the table of Palaniswami, under whose control the police department comes. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi also jumped onto the bandwagon on Twitter by tweeting using #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix hashtag, which was trending on the micro-blogging site.

"Police brutality is a terrible crime. It’s a tragedy when our protectors turn into oppressors. I offer my condolences to the family of the victims and appeal to the government to ensure #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix," Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

The custodial death triggered a major outrage with cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, and over half-a-dozen popular figures from the Tamil film industry speaking against “police brutality” and seeking action against those responsible.

Superstar Rajinikanth, who has not yet spoken on the issue, became a target on Twitter for his “golden silence".

Also Read: 'Custodial death' of father-son duo sparks outrage in Tamil Nadu; HC seeks report

What led to outrage?

P Jayaraj (61), and his son Emmanuel Bennix (31), were taken into custody by police in Sathankulam town in Thoothukudi district on June 19 following an argument over keeping their shops open beyond 9 pm. The duo is alleged to have been tortured by police during custody and was shifted to the Kovilpatti sub-jail on June 21.

However, the son died on June 22 and the father on June 23 triggering massive protests by family members and relatives. Following an outrage, the government suspended two policemen.

The family received the bodies only on Thursday after the autopsy was performed in the presence of doctors appointed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and buried them the same evening. Though Palaniswami toed the police line that the duo died of existing medical conditions, the Chief Minister also announced a solatium of Rs 20 lakh and a government job for a family member.

The DMK, whose Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi is at the forefront of seeking justice for the duo, announced Rs 25 lakh relief for the family. Kanimozhi handed over the cheque personally to the family members, while the AIADMK also announced the same amount as a relief to the next kin of the deceased, hours after the DMK’s statement.

Celebrities seek justice

“Horrified to hear about the brutality inflicted upon Jeyaraj & Fenix in Tamil Nadu. We must raise our voice and make sure justice is given to the family. Folded hands,” Dhawan wrote.

Deshmukh went a step further to call the incident a “national shame”. “This is tragic & absolute National Shame. It sends shivers down my spine even reading about it. We all must stand together against this barbaric brutality,” the actor said.

Actors ‘Jayam’ Ravi, Aishwarya Rajesh, Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Janani Iyer, and music directors D Imman and G V Prakash Kumar said they were “horrified to hear about the brutality inflicted” upon the father and son and demanded justice for them.

“Terrified to hear the brutality inflicted upon Jeyaraj & Fenix. Totally inhuman and could not digest the torture they must have gone through. Let us raise our voices for this ruthless act India! Jeyaraj and Fenix are the George Floyd of India,” Imman wrote on Twitter.

Actor Aishwarya Rajesh wrote: “Sathankulam incident is horrifying. It is totally inhuman. Really not acceptable. Justice in the delay is injustice.”

Petition on Change.org

A petition launched by Chennai-based student Keshav Ramesh on www.change.org received over 10,500 signatures at the time of writing. The petition was seeking to achieve increasing awareness among the common public, especially students who have the power to take this pressing issue to the attention of higher authorities.