Tamil Nadu: Custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennix spark massive outrage on social media

Jayaraj and his son Bennix, who were the small time traders in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, were pulled up, arrested and allegedly assaulted by the Sathankulam Police officials for keeping their mobile shop open beyond the permitted time during the lockdown.

Following the assault, which reminded the killing of black man George Floyd by a police officer in the United States, the father-son duo had succumbed to their injuries in Kovilpatti General Hospital.

Protesting against the incident, radio jockey Suchitra took to Twitter to narrate how Jayaraj and Bennix were stripped of clothes including "underwear" and attacked on their genitals.

Suchitra tweeted, "Please share & tag fwd so non-tamil-speaking people can understand what happened..."

Actor Malavika Mohanan tweeted, "Horrified and numb to hear what has happened with Jayaraj and Fenix in Thoothukudi!!! This sort of brutality by the police is inhuman beyond words!!!"

Another actor Aishwarya Rajessh said, "Sathakulam incident is horrifying.. it’s totally inhuman .. Really not acceptable.. Justice in delay is injustice."

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh tweeted, "This is tragic & absolute National Shame. It sends shivers down my spine even reading about it. We all must stand together against this barbaric brutality."

Southern actor Kajal Aggawal reacted, "I couldn’t even listen to this whole video. Grotesque and gruesome. The cops involved need a harsher punishment than just a transfer."

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted, "Horrified at what has happened in Tuticorin. It is disgrace to Tamil Nadu and to us as a country. You go to a police station for help. #JeyarajandFenix. Bennicks was just 31. What kind of people do we hire as policemen? Or do they believe it is all right?"

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Police brutality is a terrible crime. It’s a tragedy when our protectors turn into oppressors. I offer my condolences to the family of the victims and appeal to the government to ensure.."

Congress MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "The tragedy of the custodial deaths in Tuticorin should be a wake-up call to all of us who turn a blind eye to police brutality: https://indiatoday.in/india/story/tuticorin-custodial-death-kin-say-father-son-duo-was-sexually-abused-in-police-custody-outrage-in-tamil-nadu-1692411-2020-06-25… Compare the outrage the death of #GeorgeFloyd sparked across the world, w/the lack of national outrage here. Justice denied?"

(Image Credit: Screenshot grab/Twitter)