Sentencing in Sathankulam case posted to April 2

Madurai: The first additional district and sessions court in Madurai, on Monday, posted the case pertaining to the custodial deaths of P Jeyaraj and his son J Beniks in Sathankulam in 2020, for sentencing on April 2, as reports from the central and state govts are awaited.Nearly six years after a father-son duo were tortured and killed by Sathankulam police while in custody, the court found all the nine police personnel guilty of the double murder on March 23. The court sought a report on the medical condition of the accused, their property statement and the salary certificate. It also sought a report from the central and the state govts as to the aggravating/mitigating circumstances. The case was posted on March 30 for pronouncing the quantum of sentence.All the nine convicted cops -- inspector S Sridhar, sub-inspectors K Balakrishnan, P Raghu Ganesh, head constables S Murugan and A Samadurai, and four constables -- M Muthuraja, S Chelladurai, X Thomas Francis and S Vailmuthu -- were produced in the court on Monday. Since the reports from the central and state govts are awaited, judge G Muthukumaran posted the case for sentencing on April 2. The remand of all the nine convicts was extended till April 2.