The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court condemned police brutality, calling Ajith Kumar’s custodial death “beaten to death for nothing.” Justice Sreemathi, hearing bail pleas of accused officers, expressed deep anguish and warned that the judiciary would “teach a lesson.”
CHENNAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has stated that the judiciary will “teach a lesson to the police,” highlighting that a man was “beaten to death for nothing.” This statement arises from the case involving the death of a security guard at a temple, Ajith Kumar, which the court identified as a clear instance of custodial death.
During the hearing of bail applications from several members of the arrested special police team Anand, Kannan, Raja, Prabhu, and Sankar Manikandan Justice Sreemathi expressed sorrow over the circumstances surrounding the death.
The court noted that the complaint regarding stolen jewelry that led to his arrest was false, denying bail to the policemen involved.
She questioned the foundation of the initial complaint and whether any consequences would be faced by the complainant, noting that an innocent man had been violently assaulted over a nonexistent case.
The court ordered that the accused policemen remain in custody until the trial concludes and postponed the hearing until February 17.
According to the CBI, at least ten officials, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, an inspector, a head constable, and members of the special team, have had police cases filed against them in connection with the incident.
The agency reported to the court that there was no previous animosity between the victim and the officers and that the assault took place during questioning authorized by senior officials.
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Ajith Kumar, a security guard at the Madapuram Badrakali Amman temple near Tiruppuvanam, was apprehended on June 27 of last year following allegations of missing jewelry. He died the following day due to alleged custodial torture, and video footage of the assault had emerged earlier. A postmortem examination revealed around 40 injuries on his body, confirming he had suffered severe physical abuse.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), currently investigating the incident, informed the court that its inquiry established Ajith Kumar’s death as a case of custodial killing. It also indicated that the jewelry theft complaint against him lacked factual basis and had since been closed.
The High Court had previously mandated an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Ajith Kumar’s family. Chief Minister MK Stalin transferred the investigation to the CBI, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation and issued a public apology to Ajith Kumar’s family.