Murders of P. Jayaraj and J. Bennix

Common card · No. 421939

The arrest of shopkeepers P. Jayaraj (59 years old) and his son J. Bennix (also spelled Fennix, Benniks) (31 years old) by the Tamil Nadu Police in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district on 19 June 2020 and their subsequent sexual and physical abuse in custody resulted in their deaths three days later. The incident sparked strikes and protests by Sathankulam shopkeepers against police brutality, attracting significant media coverage and celebrity attention. The incident shone a light on the impunity of provincial policing in Tamil Nadu; the complicity of the courts in turning a blind eye to police corruption; the involvement of the members of the community policing initiative "Friends of the Police" in acts of police brutality; and the negligence of doctors conducting medical inspections of detainees. In response to the outrage compensation was paid to affected family members; nine police officers were arrested, the remainder transferred to new locations, government support for the Friends of...

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