The family of Jayaraj and Benicks addressed the media on the day the court delivered its verdict in the Madurai custodial torture case. Nine police officers were given the death penalty in a case that sent shockwaves across the country. | Photo credit: MOORTHY G
On April 6, 2026, the horrified screams of the family echoed through the corridors of the Madurai District Court, feeling that they had finally received justice. The court’s verdict, which found nine police officers guilty of the custodial torture and murder of P. Jayaraj, 58, and his son J. Benicks, 31, in what has come to be known as the Sattankulam custodial torture case, revealed the deep agony of a household broken by those sworn to protect them.
The grief of friends and relatives served as a haunting reminder of the brutality perpetrated by men in uniform who turned their power into a weapon of deadly violence. The verdict delivered by G. Muthukumaran, First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Madurai, marks a historical milestone in the Indian legal landscape on police brutality.
Published – 19 Apr 2026 01:00 IST
