The saga of custodial deaths continues in Tamil Nadu under the Dravidian Model DMK government. The state has been rocked by the news of a 27-year-old temple guard, Ajithkumar, employed under Tamil Nadu’s HR&CE Department, having died in police custody on 28 June 2025. Detained by Thirubhuvanam Police over an alleged theft of 80g of gold jewellery from a disabled devotee’s car at Madapuram Kaliamman temple, Ajith was reportedly tortured for 18 hours without any formal legal procedure.
Witnesses claim he was beaten with rods, tied to a tree, and forced to drink chilli-laced water. His brother, Naveen, also alleges being beaten to force a false confession. Ajith died at Thirubhuvanam Government Hospital, but the police allegedly moved the body without informing the family. Protests erupted after news of his death spread, with demands for a CBI probe and FIRs against senior officials. Six policemen have been arrested, but critics call this a cover-up, pointing to political interference and a pattern of custodial deaths in the region.
#Ajithkumar’s family says suspension is not enough & demands murder case be registered against police personnel involved in the alleged Sivaganga #CustodialDeath#JusticeForAjithkumarpic.twitter.com/CVpl6dFZnB
– Thinakaran Rajamani (@thinak_)
During the period 2021-22, the National Human Rights Commission of India documented 2152 deaths in judicial custody and 155 deaths in police custody until 28 February 2022 in India.
In the year 2022 up until March 2025, 24 custodial deaths are said to have taken place as per this report.
In 2024, over 300 accused persons entered Chennai’s Puzhal Prison with broken limbs, as revealed by RTI data. In response, police cited the implausible excuse of “slippery toilets” as the cause of these injuries. The use of extrajudicial methods by Tamil Nadu police has become alarmingly routine, with 21 encounter killings reported since 2021.
While the Sathankulam custodial deaths rocked the state, when it came to the custodial deaths in the DMK regime, not a whimper was heard from the same activist/celebrity gang.
Here are some of the of death due to police torture that deserve as much traction as that of the Sathankulam case.
Incident 1:
Rajasekar, a 33-year-old resident of Munthiri Thoppu in Tiruvallur district, was brought to the P6 Kodungaiyur police station on 11 June 2022 for an inquiry related to two burglary cases. He was pronounced dead at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital on 12 June 2022. The autopsy report revealed multiple external injuries, with two injuries occurring approximately 18-24 hours before his death.
Incident 2:
In Nagapattinam district, a 44-year-old man named Siva Subramanian, employed at a cycle repair shop, died in judicial custody. Siva and his brother Ganesh were detained after a brawl with Venkatesh, who owed Ganesh ₹95,000. According to the police, Siva suffered seizures while in jail and was taken to Nagapattinam Government Hospital, where he passed away on the evening of 13 June 2022. The police attributed his death to alcohol withdrawal symptoms, dismissing reports of custodial torture.
Incident 3:
On 18 April 2022, during a routine night check at Kellys in Chennai, police stopped two youths, Vignesh (25) and Suresh (28), in an auto. The duo, found in possession of ganja and liquor, engaged in a verbal duel with the police. Vignesh later developed health complications, vomited, and had seizures. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was declared dead. Relatives reported seeing injuries on Vignesh’s body, leading to the suspension of a police sub-inspector, a constable, and a home guard personnel.
Incident 4:
In Tiruvannamalai, Thangamani was taken into police custody on 26 April 2022 for an inquiry into illegal liquor sales. Relatives alleged a false case, stating that the police demanded money for their release. The police claimed Thangamani had fits the next day, leading to his hospitalisation and subsequent death during treatment.
Incident 5:
In January 2022, a physically challenged man named Prabhakaran was locked up for allegedly stealing jewellery. Falling ill in jail, he was rushed to Namakkal Government Hospital and later to Salem Government Hospital, where he died on 11 January 2022. Prabhakaran’s relatives alleged police torture as the cause of death, resulting in the suspension of three police officers.
Incident 6:
In June 2021, Murugesan, a fruit stall owner, died after being beaten by police at the Pappanaickenpatti check post. A video circulated on social media showed Special Sub-Inspector Periyasamy thrashing Murugesan with a lathi until he became motionless. Murugesan had engaged in an argument with the police while being penalised for drunk driving. Periyasamy was arrested following a complaint.
Custodial death stands out as one of the gravest offences in a civilised society governed by the Rule of Law, where the state needs to take necessary steps to curb the issue.
The landmark verdict of 18 December 1996, in DK Basu vs State of West Bengal, laid down 11 guidelines by the Supreme Court, addressing arresting procedures and compensation in case of the detainee’s death.
Incident 7:
In December 2022, on December 28 by the Railway Police in Tambaram on suspicion of stealing a battery from a railway station. He was sent to a children correctional facility because he was a minor. On December 31, he was rushed to Chengalpet Government Hospital with complaints of seizures, where he passed away within hours.
The preliminary autopsy report showed that the child was subjected to a physical attack, had severe contusions on his legs, and several external injuries on his body. The child was beaten severely before being killed, and the majority of his injuries were were ante-mortem. The parents, however, were not given access to the complete autopsy report.
On the basis of the postmortem report, six prison officials of the correctional facility were arrested. S Mohan, 30, superintendent of prisons, P Vidyasagar, 33, assistant superintendent of prisons, J H Raj, 29, barber at the juvenile home, prison wardens D Vijayakumar, 30, M Saranraj, and teacher R Chandrababu, 40, were arrested.
Incident 8:
In June 2023, the death of a , Thangasamy, who was in the custody of the Puliyangudi police in Tenkasi district died. According to reports, Thangasamy was remanded in judicial custody, but he complained of uneasiness, prompting authorities to transfer him to Tirunelveli Medical College. However, his condition deteriorated, and he subsequently passed away.
According to Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) Section 176 (I) of the CrPC, in the event of a person’s death or disappearance in custody or if a woman is raped in custody, the Judicial Magistrate holds the authority to order an inquiry. Section 54 of the CrPC also empowers the Magistrate to appoint a medical petitioner to examine accused individuals under trial. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Sections 330 (a) and (b) allows for sentences of up to 7 years for policemen involved in cases of torture.
Incident 9:
A 58-year-old jeweller and (CPI), P Rajasekaran, allegedly died by suicide on Sunday night (June 25). The incident occurred just days after he was taken into police custody for interrogation. The news of his death had prompted widespread condemnation of the police, with allegations of custodial torture emerging.
Incident 10:
In January 2024, Tamil Nadu another shocking case of alleged custodial death. M. Balakrishnan, a 36-year-old from Srivaikuntam, Thoothukkudi, travelled to Erode on 26 December 2023. The next day, while at a bar in Palayapalayam with friends, he and five others were detained by Erode police. While four were released, Balakrishnan and his friend Prakash were allegedly held in a private lodge and interrogated over an old case. His family claims he was brutally assaulted by police, leading to his hospitalisation on 28 December and eventual death on 2 January 2024 at Perundurai Government Medical College Hospital. His brother, M. Mariyappan, filed a complaint citing custodial torture. Advocate V. Maharajan, representing the family, highlighted severe injuries and alleged evidence tampering. The Madras High Court ordered a fresh post-mortem in Coimbatore on 9 January. A case under CrPC Section 176(1A) was registered at Chennimalai police station.