MADURAI:The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court refused to grant bail to the four policemen arrested in the Sathankulam custodial death case on Thursday.
Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan was hearing the bail petitions filed by suspended head constables S Murugan, M Muthuraj and X Thomas Francis and Grade I constable S Veilmuthu of Sathankulam police station in Thoothukudi.
The petitioners were arrested in July 2020 for allegedly torturing two traders -- P Jeyaraj and his son Beniks in custody -- which later led to the duo's death.
Allegations
The petitioners' counsel contended that only the first three accused -- Inspector Sridhar and two Sub Inspectors Balakrishnan and Ragu Ganesh -- were responsible for the traders' death and that the petitioners were falsely implicated in the case. He also claimed that the petitioners had informed the jurisdictional DSP when the traders were beaten up.
He alleged that the CBI did not take the real factual confessions by the petitioners on record. The counsel further argued that the CBI has not yet revealed the findings from the CCTV footages recovered from the station. Though the CBI says that further investigation is to be conducted, no formal application was made so far, he said. Apart from affixing their signature in the FIR against the deceased due to the pressure of their superiors, the petitioners did not play any role in the crime, he added.
However, Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) L Victoria Gowri, appearing for CBI, stated that the petitioners played a direct role in the brutal torture of the two traders. Also refuting the allegations made by the petitioner's counsel, she stated that there can be no doubt about the statements as the witness has not withdrawn the same till now.
Justice Ilanthiraiyan said that such allegations should be worked out during the trial and not in a bail petition and dismissed the petitions.