Exactly a day after the Central government directed the CBI to probe into the custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, the Central agency has, on Wednesday, taken over the probe from the CBCID police, which has been investigating the case for the past one week. 

According to the reports, the Central Bureau of Investigation has taken the probe and deployed a special team to Tamil Nadu to carry out the investigation into the custodial deaths of the father and son, which triggered massive outrage after the incident spotlighted the police brutality in India. The major transition of the probe has come when the Madras High Court directed CBCID probe has arrested several police officers connected to the case.

The CBI spokesperson said the Central agency has filed two cases in the custodial deaths of two traders in Kovilpatti, Thoothukudi district on the request of the Tamil Nadu government and the direction from the Central government. He stated that CBI has taken over the probe of the cases that were registered under the crime number 649 of 2020 and 650 of 2020 at the Kovilpatti East Police station in the district. 

The reports stated that the CBI will be seeking custody of the arrested police officers under its probe. Amid the outrage across the state, the Tamil Nadu government has said that the case would be transferred to the CBI and requested the Center to direct CBI's probe. However, based on the evidence that suggested the father and duo had brutally tortured and beaten to death by the policemen, the Madras High Court Madurai Bench has ordered the CBCID to take over the probe and start the investigation. 

Following the order, the special team of CBCID had started the investigation last Tuesday and interrogated the family members of the victims. So far, the CBCID had detained ten police officers - of which five were arrested and lodged in the judicial custody under the grounds of murder and wrongful confinement while the rest five officers have been taken for investigation on Wednesday. 

While the CBCID team has been probing the case based on the directive from the Madras High Court, the Central government has, on Tuesday, said that it has directed the CBI to take over the probe as per the request of the Tamil Nadu government and following the announcement, the CBI has pitched on the probing grounds and filed two cases against the case of police brutality, which has been under public scrutiny.

The custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks would be one of the important cases probed by the CBI. Thoothukudi Massacre (2018), Pollachi Sexual Assault Case (2019), Fathima Latheef Suicide case (2019), Vishnupriya Suicide case (2015), Ramajayam murder case (2017) are some of the important cases in Tamil Nadu that are still probed by the CBI. 

Must-read: Sathankulam deaths: Center directs the CBI to take the probe as wished by TN Govt!