Recently one very disturbing news came to the public knowledge and caught the attention of social media users. Even though the highlight news of every day is only around the latest updates around the coronavirus, many other important issues are happening all over the world. One such issue is the case of JEYARAJ and PHEONIX, a father-son duo who was allegedly treated very ill by police and indeed caused their death. This happened in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a town named SANTAKULAM near Thootukodi district. P Jeyaraj, 62, who worked at his mobile shop at Sathankulam town, was taken in custody on June 19 evening.
Jeyaraj allegedly made some critical remarks about a police patrol team on June 18 for insisting shop owners to shut shops early for lockdown rules. An auto driver had informed police about remarks and the police team had come the next day to take him in custody. After an agitated police team had taken Jeyaraj in custody, his son, J Pheonix, 32, followed the police team to the station.
At the Sathankulam police station, a senior police officer said, Pheonix saw his father being physically harassed by an officer. An agitated Pheonix questioned the officer, tried to stop the officer or pushed him to protect his father in his 60s. “It had provoked the police team; they thrashed both father and son for hours. There were two sub-inspectors and two constables in the torture team. A total of 13 officers were there at the station during the incident, including volunteers’ part of Friends of Police,” the officer said.
The alleged lockdown violation charge on Jeyaraj was something that would have got him a maximum of three months’ imprisonment if he was found guilty.
June 20. Jeyaraj’s family who waited outside the station till midnight got to see the father and son in the morning in “bad shape.” They were taken to the Sathankulam government hospital. Jeyaraj’s veshti and Phoenix’s pants were fully soaked in blood. They had to keep changing lungis at the hospital due to severe bleeding. Policemen asked the family to bring “dark colour lungis”.
After three hours at the hospital, they were then taken to Sathankulam magistrate court.
Joseph, Jeyaraj’s brother in law who witnessed the scene, said the magistrate waved his hand from the first floor of the building as the police team stood outside. Both were sent on remand to Kovilpatti Sub Jail in a few moments.
The family had no news about the father and son till June 22 evening, when they were shifted to the nearby government hospital. Due to continuous bleeding and severe external and internal injuries from alleged lock up torture, Phonix died late evening on June 22, and Jeyaraj died in the wee hours on June 23.
What action has been taken?
Even as two FIRs have been filed, no officer has been booked for murder charges. Following the outrage and protests, four police officers including two sub-inspectors have been placed under suspension. The station inspector has been transferred. A judicial inquiry is in progress, the post mortem report has been submitted to the Madras High Court in a sealed cover, and the court is waiting for a report from police.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rupees 20 lakh for the victim family. DMK’s Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi declared a compensation of Rupees 25 lakh for the family.
Is there a communal angle in the picture?
Jeyaraj’s family belonged to the Nadar community. Multiple accounts from witnesses, relatives of victims and police show that the case had no direct communal angle but it was a brutal revenge by police officers, first for Jeyaraj’s alleged remarks against the police patrol team and for Pheonix’s alleged attempt to physically stop, push away, an officer who was beating his father.
This issue has brought light into something that was sweeped under the carpet for a long time. At least from now on there shouldn’t be any injustice and brutal behaviour from the police department.
Eduindex News 