Sathankulam Custodial Death Verdict 2026: Death Penalty for 9 Police Officers

In a historic judgment redefining police accountability in India, the Madurai Sessions Court has awarded the death penalty to nine police personnel for the 2020 custodial torture and murder of P. Jayaraj and his son J. Bennix. Highlighting the “rarest of rare” nature of the crime, the 2026 verdict marks a systemic shift in how the Indian judiciary penalizes state-sponsored violence.