The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench has taken suo motu cognizance of the custodial death of 27‑year‑old Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard from Sivagangai, who died following alleged severe beatings at the hands of a special police team. The bench, led by Justices S M Subramaniam and C V Karthikeyan, sternly questioned whether the state had treated Ajith “like a terrorist” and demanded detailed records of the 24 custodial deaths reported in Tamil Nadu over the past four years . Madurai Police have suspended six officers and launched both a magisterial and Crime Branch inquiry, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has reprimanded the force and ordered a full internal review . The court has listed the matter for a follow‑up hearing tomorrow.

Sources