MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Thursday passed an interim order directing the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Madurai to keep the committal proceedings with respect to four additional accused in the Sivaganga custodial death case in abeyance till March 12. Following this, the CJM adjourned the proceedings to March 16.
Justice L Victoria Gowri passed the interim order while hearing an anticipatory bail petition filed by former inspector SP Ramesh Kumar, one of the four policemen who were added as additional accused in the case by the CBI through its supplementary chargesheet in December.
The case pertained to the custodial torture and death of a temple guard B Ajithkumar of Madapuram Badrakali Amman temple, in June 2025. While the trial against the remaining six accused named in the main chargesheet is pending before the Vth Additional District and Sessions Judge, R Joseph Joy, the CJM K Selvapandi took the supplementary chargesheet on file last month and began the committal proceedings. He also furnished copies of the supplementary chargesheet to the four additional accused on Thursday.
However, Ramesh Kumar moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail, claiming that the CJM had expressed that he is likely to remand all four additional suspects, who have not been arrested in the case so far, to judicial custody till the trial is over. Kumar's counsel pointed out that all four additional accused have already executed surety bonds before the CJM. Since the investigation agency itself deemed that their arrest was not necessary, the question of remanding them will not arise, they added.
As the CBI counsel expressed strong objections and sought time to file a counter affidavit, Justice Gowri directed CJM, Madurai, to keep the matter in abeyance till CBI files a counter on March 12.