Sattankulam Verdict Exposes A System Where Custodial Deaths Go On

The Sattankulam verdict has brought custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu back into sharp focus, reviving questions around police accountability and systemic reform.

The death penalty awarded to nine policemen, nearly six years after the incident, is being seen as a rare instance of the system delivering its harshest response to custodial violence. The sentencing follows last week's ruling by the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai, which found all nine accused guilty for the custodial torture and deaths of a father and son trader P. Jeyaraj (58) and his son J. Benniks (31) in June 2020. The convicted include an inspector, two sub-inspectors, two head constables and four constables. A tenth accused, Special Sub-Inspector Pal Durai, died of COVID-19 during the trial.

For what was alleged to be a minor lockdown violation, a father and son lost their lives.

For those unaware, on June 19 2020, Jeyaraj and his son Benniks were arrested by Tamil Nadu police for allegedly keeping their shop open past permitted COVID-19 lockdown hours in Kamarajar Chowk in Sathankulam. They were brutally tortured overnight in custody, leading to their deaths on June 22-23, 2020, triggering nationwide outrage. The two were subjected to severe custodial torture, suffering multiple injuries, including internal and rectal injuries. Benniks died on June 22, 2020, followed by Jeyaraj a day later on June 23, while in custody.

The court held the case to be a clear instance of custodial violence. It found that Inspector S. Sridhar instigated the assault, with other personnel participating in the violence and the subsequent cover-up. The findings detailed how the father and son were brutally assaulted while in police custody.

The immediate focus has been on Tamil Nadu. But the larger picture tells a different story.

Tamil Nadu is not the state with the highest number of custodial deaths in India.

At the national level, the highest figures are recorded elsewhere, and consistently so.

When it comes to judicial custody, which includes deaths in prisons, Uttar Pradesh tops the list. The reason is partly structural. The state has one of the largest prison populations in the country, with a high number of undertrials. States like West Bengal and Bihar follow, also reporting significant numbers year after year.

In police custody, where deaths occur inside police stations or during interrogation, the pattern shifts. Bihar has reported the highest number of deaths in the latest data, followed by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. A second cluster of states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab, also show consistently high figures.

Tamil Nadu, despite the attention it receives, does not lead either category. But the nature of cases reported from the state has kept it under scrutiny.

The Sattankulam case became a national flashpoint because of the details that emerged, with allegations of sustained torture, visible injuries, and the deaths of a father and son within days. It went beyond data and statistics, turning into a case that drew public outrage, protests, and sustained demands for justice.

Across India, the numbers show that custodial deaths are not rare events.

In the current financial year (2025-26) alone, 170 custodial deaths in police custody have been recorded up to March 15, according to data tabled in Parliament on March 24, 2026. Police custodial deaths have remained largely steady over the past five years, rising again to 170 cases in 2025-26 so far. Bihar reported the highest number at 19, followed by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, while Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab also recorded significant figures. Odisha saw a sharp increase over time, whereas Maharashtra registered a decline.

The figures show little change in trend, with police custodial deaths remaining largely consistent over the past five years. While Odisha has seen an increase from 2 cases to 9 during this period, Maharashtra has registered a decline compared to earlier years.

Judicial custody deaths continue to be significantly higher. National Human Rights Commission data shows around 2,739 such deaths were reported in 2024. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest number, followed by West Bengal and Bihar, a trend linked to larger prison populations in these states.

Behind these numbers are familiar conditions, overcrowded prisons, prolonged detention of undertrials, limited medical access, and instances of violence that often surface only when a case triggers public attention.

What stands out even more is the response after such deaths.

Action against officials remains limited. Cases are registered, inquiries are ordered, suspensions are announced. But convictions are rare, and strict punishment even rarer. The Sattankulam verdict stands out precisely because it breaks this pattern.

Tamil Nadu's position, then, is less about numbers and more about visibility.

Cases from the state, whether in Sattankulam or elsewhere, have repeatedly come into public view with details that are difficult to ignore. They have triggered protests, political reactions and judicial scrutiny in ways that many cases elsewhere do not.

That visibility has brought pressure. But it has not yet translated into a clear drop in incidents.

Which is why the question is shifting.

It is no longer just about which state records the highest number of custodial deaths. The numbers already point to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as the worst affected in different categories.

The real question is whether any state has found a way to reduce them.

For now, the answer remains unclear.