Tamil Nadu: SSI arrested over Sathankulam custodial torture succumbs to Covid-19

Pauldurai was admitted to Madurai Rajaji Government Hospital on July 24 after he tested positive for the virus. His condition deteriorated in the last few days as he was already suffering from diabetes and heart diseases.

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SSI Pauldurai (56) breathed his last at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) here early today.

Special Sub-Inspector (SSI) Pauldurai (56), who was arrested along with ten other police officers in connection with the custodial death of a father-son duo in Sathankulam town of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, succumbed to Covid-19 on Monday. However, the SSI’s wife, Mangaiyar Thilagam, held a few police officers at Sathankulam police station responsible for her husband’s death.

Pauldurai was admitted to Madurai Rajaji Government Hospital on July 24 after he tested positive for the virus. His condition deteriorated in the last few days as he was already suffering from diabetes and heart diseases.

He was shifted to the emergency ward on August 8. He passed away this morning.

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On Saturday, Thilagam submitted a petition to the Madurai Police Commissioner, alleging that her husband was innocent and was wrongfully arrested. He also requested the commissioner to allow her to shift her husband to a private hospital in her native town as he was turning critical and there was no improvement in his condition.

P Jayaraj and his son Bennix who ran a mobile shop were arrested for ‘violating’ lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop.

Bennix and Jeyaraj died on June 22 and 23, respectively after alleged torture by Sathankulam Police following their arrest on June 19.

Initially, the CB-CID had arrested Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspector Ragu Ganesh, Bala Krishnan, Head constable Murugan, and Muthu Raja. On July 8, Pauldurai was arrested alongside four more police personnel Samidhurai, Veyil Muthu, Chelladurai, and Thomas Francis. They were booked under sections 302, 201, 342 r/w 107 of the Indian Penal Code. They were remanded to judicial custody in Madurai Central Jail on July 14.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over the probe from the CB-CID based on a request from the Tamil Nadu government.

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