The judges directed the state government to initiate appropriate action against all those involved, including higher officials, who are responsible and accountable for their lapses and negligence, and file a report on or before July 8. The state has been told to ensure protection to eyewitnesses.

After perusing the postmortem report, submitted by the dean of Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, the court said a plain reading of the nature of injuries inflicted on the deceased revealed he had been brutally attacked.

“The deceased was not even accused in the case, and there were no previous criminal cases or bad antecedents against him,” the judges said.

Further, the judges said material evidence is unsafe in the hands of local police, “who are all directly or indirectly parties to the custodial death”. They made this observation after the executive officer of the Madapuram temple informed the court that police officer Ramachandran had taken the entire CCTV footage, and other items. Additional Advocate General said the evidence has been kept in the special branch (technical wing) in Sivaganga.

During the hearing in the morning, the judges directed the Thirupuvanam Judicial Magistrate, Dean of Government Rajaji Hospital, the Executive Officer of the Madapuram temple, to be present along with Sakthishwaran, who had recorded a video of policemen beating Ajithkumar. The court viewed the clip.

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