IN INDIA: 9 cops sentenced to death over Covid-19 custodial deaths

International

A COURT in India has sentenced nine police officers to death over the custodial deaths of a father and son during the COVID-19 pandemic in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The victims, P. Jeyaraj, 58, and his son Benicks, 38, died days after being detained for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open in violation of lockdown rules.

A report by BBC stated that during sentencing, the judge described the case as a serious abuse of authority, noting that the two were stripped and brutally assaulted while in custody.

“They did this with the intention of killing,” the judge said. “They attacked unarmed people. They should not be forgiven… They should not be given lesser sentences based on their age or family background.”

The nine officers were found guilty of murder last month and are expected to appeal the ruling. A total of ten officers were initially charged, but one of the accused died of COVID-19 in 2020.

The case sparked protests across Tamil Nadu and drew widespread public attention. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan were among those who called for justice.

The incident has renewed concerns over police brutality in India, where rights groups report hundreds of custodial deaths annually.(Samantha Faye Alcoma, CTU-TC BAEL-ELSD Intern)