Within hours of commencing investigation, sleuths of the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) on Wednesday arrested one of the sub-inspectors of police, Raghu Ganesh, after altering the case of custodial death of trader Jayaraj and his son Benicks into a murder case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
The State investigating agency has named Sub Inspectors Balakrishnan, Raghu Ganesh and constables Murugan and Murhuraj. A hunt is on to nab all the other accused in the case that attracted the wrath of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court as the traders died in judicial custody.
Sattankulam custodial deaths | Madras High Court finds prima facie material to book policemen for murder
Earlier, the Thoothukudi district police had registered a case under Section 174 (suspicious death) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Inspector General of Police CB–CID Shankar had told presspersons here before leaving for Sattankulam that his team would decide on registering a case of murder against the officers only after collecting evidence.
Mr. Shankar, who arrived here on Wednesday along with Superintendent of Police Vijayakumar, said the CB-CID police had commenced investigation in the morning.
Sources in the CB-CID said over 10 teams were assisting the DSP Anilkumar, who has been entrusted with the investigation. Over 40 personnel, including two more DSPs and 11 inspectors, have fanned out to different parts of the district. Earlier, Mr. Shankar and Mr. Vijayakumari held comprehensive discussion about the investigation at Sattankulam police station. Mr. Anilkumar, who met the family members of Jayaraj, gathered information pertaining to this case from them.
As CB-CID team, including Mr. Shankar and Mr. Vijayakumar, returned to Thoothukudi around 7 p.m., Deputy Inspector General of Police (Tirunevleli Range) Praveen Kumar Abinapu and Thoothukudi SP S. Jayakumar had discussion.
“Since the case is likely to be altered into a case of murder under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code following the observations Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, sub-inspectors Balakrishnan, Raghu Ganesh and four constables, all attached to the Sattankulam police station, have gone underground. The special teams have been formed by the CB-CID to locate their whereabouts,” sources in the police here said. Later in the day, the case was altered to that of murder.
Meanwhile, Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate-1 M.S. Bharathidasan continued his inquiry at Tiruchendur Government Guest House where he recorded the statements of a good number of witnesses, including the doctor of Sattankulam Government Hospital Vinila.
