An Indian court has sentenced nine police officers to death for the torture and killing of a father and son who were detained in 2020 for allegedly breaching Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
The additional district judge in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, found the officers guilty in the custodial deaths of trader Jeyaraj, 59, and his son Benniks, 31, according to a statement from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 7.
The court ruled that the case represented a “clear instance of abuse of authority” and fell under the “rarest of the rare” category, the CBI said following the sentencing on April 6.
The two victims were taken into custody by police officers and allegedly subjected to severe torture while detained.
Local media reports said the father and son ran a mobile phone shop and were arrested for allegedly keeping their business open beyond permitted hours during the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.
Public outrage over the incident prompted the Tamil Nadu state government to transfer the case to the CBI, which later filed charges against nine officers within 90 days.
During the trial, prosecutors examined more than 50 witnesses and argued that the killings had “shaken public conscience” and warranted the harshest punishment.
All nine accused were ultimately convicted of murder and destruction of evidence.
In India, executions are carried out by hanging, though they remain rare. The country’s last executions took place in March 2020, when four men convicted in the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder case were executed following widespread national outrage.
