Though the voluntary community policing initiative has denied any involvement in the custodial torture of Jayaraj and Bennix, activists have sought its ban.

Chennai: On July 8, the Tamil Nadu government banned all activities of the Friends of Police (FOP) – a voluntary organisation in community policing that has come under the scanner for its alleged role in the Sathankulam custodial death case. It rescinded a government order that extended the FOP to the entire state in 1994 in view of an ‘adverse report’ from the director general of police (DGP), Chennai.

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Henry Tiphagne, executive director of People’s Watch – a human rights organisation – says FOP was not started in accordance with the law. “The police department needs reforms. It continues to use colonial measures,” he says.