The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday directed the CB-CID to complete the investigation in Avaniyapuram custodial death case by the end of January 2022.

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday directed the CB-CID to complete the investigation in Avaniyapuram custodial death case by the end of January 2022. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice M Duraiswamy gave the direction in a suo motu petition filed over suspicious withdrawal of the custodial death petition by the parents of the victim before the court in 2019.

The victim- Balamurugan (22)- had reportedly died due to custodial torture at the hands of Avaniyapuram police in Madurai. Though his father Muthukaruppan had filed a petition alleging his son died due to custodial torture, the petition was later withdrawn.

After an advocate, Henri Tiphagne, wrote to the court claiming that the victim’s family was threatened into withdrawing the case by the relatives of the policemen alleged to be responsible for the youth’s death, the court initiated the suo motu proceedings. Tiphagne had also submitted audio conversations of the persons involved, in a sealed cover.

When the case came up for hearing on Monday, the court observed there was a delay in the investigation and directed the CB-CID to complete the probe by the end of January 2022.

Case pertains to death of 22-year-old man

The victim- Balamurugan (22)- had reportedly died due to custodial torture at the hands of Avaniyapuram police in Madurai. Though his father Muthukaruppan had filed a petition alleging his son died due to custodial torture, the petition was later withdrawn