TAMIL NADU (REUTERS): The death of a father and son in police custody in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has sparked massive outrage, as social media users comparing the incident to the death of George Floyd in the United States.
Last Friday, P Jayaraj and his son J Bennix were arrested for violating coronavirus lockdown orders. The police Indian accused them of opening their mobile phone shop beyond the 8 pm limit.
According to the police, the father-son duo was taken to Kovilpatti government hospital due to illness, where both of them died within hours of each other.
However, the relatives of the duo alleged that they were subjected to a brutal thrashing, which resulted in rectal bleeding and eventual death, according to a letter to government officials written by Jayaraj’s wife J Selvarani. They also accuse the police of sexually assaulting the victim.
The incident triggered a furor in the state. Traders downed their shutters and protests were staged in this regard. However, the family of the deceased has demanded to file a murder case against the police officers.
In this regard, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said, “Two policemen involved in the incident had been suspended. We will take action over this incident as per the law.”
The news started trending on Twitter since Friday with calls for ‘justice for Jayaraj and Fennix’. #JusticeforJayarajandBennix was among the top Twitter topics trending in India. A large number of people were condemning the police brutality as alleged in the case.
Some of the users also compared the incident to the death of George Floyd in the United States, who was killed by a cop triggering a new wave of Black Lives Matter protests.
A lawmaker in India’s western Gujarat state, Jignesh Mevani, tweeted, “The George Floyds of India is far too many. Will Indians march on streets in thousands, like America.”
Tamil Nadu, one of the states worst-affected by the coronavirus in the country, has continued its lockdown to contain the outbreak of the virus. More than 70,000 cases have been reported in the southern state, with 911 deaths.
Will Indians march on streets in thousands(forget lakhs), like America? Will our government pass laws for a more humane system like US lawmakers did?
This is our “Vikas” – the utter loss of empathy, care & the will to stand with fellow Indians killed. #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix https://t.co/wuGfEUmkIt— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) June 26, 2020
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