Will the outrage over the inhuman brutal torture of P. Jeyaraj and his son Emmanuel Bennicks, early this week in Tamil Nadu have any effect on the police? When the Madras High Court appointed officer, went to prepare a judicial report, the guilty police sub-inspector, “You cannot do anything to me.” The Court is seeking transfer of police personnel and not their dismissal from service. Police brutality videos during lockdown have benumbed people and the government looks the other way. 3 custodial deaths reported in Delhi last week. Internationally India denies torture. That is why it is a torture pandemic we are suffering for the last 7 decades. WSN joins the #JusticeForJeyarajAndBennicks campaign and editor Jagmohan Singh condemns the maltreatment and extrajudicial custodial killing of the father-son duo, seeks exemplary compensation for the family and trial of the guilty police officers for murder.

THE BRUTAL TORTURE OF 62-YEAR-OLD P. JEYARAJ AND HIS SON EMMANNUEL BENNICKS from 19 June to 22 June, at the Sathankulam police station, near Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, the remand given by the magistrate without hearing the family and without seeing the two accused who were profusely bleeding and had come from a hospital, is a gross denial of justice and a shameful act putting humanity to shame.

The Torture Pandemic is endemic in India for decades. The Indian state of Tamil Nadu has a notorious record of custodial deaths and torture in custody. Across India, pathologically sick police personnel, unconcerned magistracy, non-functioning State Human Rights Commissions, political impunity to erring police from the lowest ranks to the highest echelons, permanent denial mode of the Union government to the prevalence of torture in the country at various national and international forums, the glorification of torture in Bollywood and Tollwood movies, zero training in scientific police methods, the consignment of all police reforms reports to the dustbins, the general public immune to images and videos of torture on the streets by policemen and policewomen during the lockdown period across the country -have all led to the police continuing their systematic torture in the four walls of police stations and specially designated police stations where torture is a norm.

General secretary LFHRI, human rights activist and Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer Navkiran Singh says, “It is high time that we initiate a concerted campaign to ensure that perpetrators of custodial crimes do not go unpunished. Lawyers For Human Rights International -LFHRI, strongly condemns the inhuman custodial torture leading to the death of the father-son duo -Jeyraj and Benicks.”

According to media reports, Bennicks was detained and tortured because he had protested the beating of his aged father while he was there at the police station to seek his release.  His crime was that he had kept his shop open a few minutes beyond the lockdown hours. Sustained torture over 3 days resulted in two lives being snuffed out by a bunch of 13 police officers at the police station including some volunteers of so-called Friends of Police, watching them, but not stopping them.

A human rights defender said, “Don’t think that this is an isolated incident. It can happen to you and me too.”

“It is high time that we initiate a concerted campaign to ensure that perpetrators of custodial crimes do not go unpunished.

Navkiran Singh, General Secretary, Lawyers For Human Rights International

It is unfortunate that even after 70 years of independence, despite India’s denial of torture at various UN and international forums, torture in police custody as a barbaric police investigation method continues. Third-degree is the norm to extract details from accused during a police investigation.

Advocate Navkiran Singh of the Lawyers for Human Rights International said that “though there is rampant police torture in India and more so in Tamil Nadu, there is no provision in the Indian Penal code to deal with custodial crimes. Though India has signed the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment’ in 1997, but has till date not ratified the resolution. Even the Prevention of Torture Bill 2017 could not attain its finality. So, it is should not come as a surprise that custodial crimes go unpunished in the absence of specific strict laws.”

Though India has signed the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment’ in 1997, but has till date not ratified the resolution

It has been reported that the Tamil Nadu government has suspended the sub-inspector and others who maltreated the father and son. This is simply not enough. The sadistic police officials who conducted the torture must be dismissed from police service, arrested and tried for first-degree cold-blooded murder.

A former judge of the Madras High Court K Chandru has rightly said that “the latest lockdown scenario had shifted full powers to the police and bureaucracy.”

“The latest lockdown scenario had shifted full powers to the police and bureaucracy.”

K. Chandru, Former Justice Madras High Court

The Hindu has editorially commented that “The top brass of the police too will have to bear responsibility for this atrocity as it indicates a signal failure to lay down norms for policemen on the field to handle lockdown violations with humaneness.”

WSN URGES YOU TO SIGN THE PETITION ADDRESSED TO THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA seeking Justice for the father-son duo and establishment of Police Complaints Authority. 

Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman said, “It is a gruesome act of murder perpetrated by the police who are supposed to protect. It shows how badly people are treated and the pernicious nexus between the powerful leaders and the police, the rampant corruption and bribery, working in tandem against the common man. A case of murder must be registered against the police officials. The Tamil Nadu government must immediately terminate the guilty who carried out the torture and even those who silently witnessed the barbaric maltreatment.”

“It is a gruesome act of murder perpetrated by the police who are supposed to protect.”

Seeman, Chief Coordinator, Naam Tamilar Katchi

UNADAP in a missive to Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has said that “it is alarmed at the “crimes against humanity” of the brutal killings and sexual torture of a father and son in Tuticorin by the state police.”

Executive Director of UNADAP -United Nations Association for Development And Peace Dr Dominic F Dixon has sought protection to the family of the deceased, legal representation, financial compensation and charging the police officers responsible for the death of the father-son duo with homicide and rape.

“It is heartbreaking to read about extreme police brutality. It’s shocking and painful to learn how TN police have turned out to be so revengeful, so barbaric and so cruel.”

Kanwar Pal Singh, Spokesperson, Dal Khalsa

Condemning the custodial deaths of P Jeyaraj and his son Emanuele Benicks in police custody in Tuticorin, Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said “it is heartbreaking to read about extreme police brutality. It’s shocking and painful to learn how TN police have turned out to be so revengeful, so barbaric and so cruel.”

“Impunity provided by various Indian laws to security forces from Kashmir to Punjab to Tamil Nadu to all over the country is the root cause of barbarism and brutality unleashed by central and state police on its people,” he added.