The two were picked up for questioning by cops of the Sathankulam police station for allegedly violating lockdown rules. They later died in police custody. On June 19th, Jayaraj and Bennicks, 31 (mistakenly referred to as Fenix) were taken into custody for keeping the mobile accessories shop beyond permissible hours. On June 22, Bennicks fell ill and was moved to the Kovilpatti General Hospital where he died. A day later, his father also died. The allegation is that they thrashed and tortured by the police while in custody, leading to their deaths. Some media reports also suggest that the duo was sexually assaulted in police custody.
Voicing their opinions various public figures to social media to express their grief:
Horrified and numb to hear what has happened with Jayaraj and Fenix in Thoothukudi!!! This sort of brutality by the police is inhuman beyond words!!! #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix
— malavika mohanan (@MalavikaM_) June 26, 2020
God is watching.
Nobody. Not another soul must have to undergo what Jeyaraj and Fenix did.
Say their names! Keep raising your voice until the perpetrators are punished as per law for their inhumane actions! They can’t be justified.
Justice. Justice!#JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix— Nivetha Thomas (@i_nivethathomas) June 26, 2020
We live in truly barbaric, sickening times. Human beings are the worst species on this planet, and the cops who did this are worse. I hope they are given the maximum penalty by our Justice system. But do we have one that works? I guess we'll see.#JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) June 26, 2020
Well said! #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix 🙏🏻 https://t.co/BVRtl9Uxwx
— Amyra Dastur (@AmyraDastur93) June 26, 2020
Tragic!! 💔#JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix
— Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) June 26, 2020
Horrified to hear about the brutality inflicted upon Jeyaraj & Fenix in Tamil Nadu. We must raise our voice and make sure justice is given to the family. 🙏 #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) June 26, 2020
Will we and can we see law taking its course and punishing the guilty without any further delay in #Jeyaraj and #Fenix case? The culprits cannot and should not get away. A family has lost their most loved ones. Justice delayed is justice denied. #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix
— KhushbuSundar ❤️ (@khushsundar) June 26, 2020
Police brutality is a terrible crime. It’s a tragedy when our protectors turn into oppressors. I offer my condolences to the family of the victims and appeal to the government to ensure #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix https://t.co/sVlqR92L3p
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 26, 2020
We, General Public have the right 2 know Y Injustice was meted out @ such level of Brutality
This should not be forgotten til action is taken & the people involved are put in Jail
Transfer means nothing, we will keep demanding till Justice is served #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix pic.twitter.com/m4hPjCU6a1
— Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) June 26, 2020
Devastated to hear the brutality inflicted upon Jeyaraj and Fenix #justiceforjeyarajandfenix pic.twitter.com/YP8Yvrj76s
— Raghava Lawrence (@offl_Lawrence) June 26, 2020
@nkjemisin @Mark__Lawrence @robinhobb @misterkristoff @BrandSanderson @SAChakrabooks @sabaatahir #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix #SayNoToPoliceBrutality https://t.co/3DCq5K8Mkr
— Gitanjali Selvaraghavan (@GitanjaliSelva) June 26, 2020
பிறருக்கு மரணத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் செயலும் , அதிகாரமும் இப்புவியில் யாருக்கும் இல்லை…
நீதி வழங்காவிடில் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சமூகம் அதற்கான நீதியை பெற்றுகொள்ளும் என்பதே வரலாறு…
இருவர் மரணத்தை மனித குலத்தோடு சேர்ந்து நானும் வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறேன்.. #JusticeforJayarajAndFenix— G.V.Prakash Kumar (@gvprakash) June 26, 2020
ஆணவக் கொலைகள் நம் சமுதாயத்தில் புரையோடியிருக்கும் நச்சுகளின் அடையாளம். குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு தண்டனை பெற்றுத் தருவது அரசின் கடமை. தமிழகத்தையே உலுக்கிய கொலையில் A1 குற்றவாளி மீதான குற்றத்தைக் கூட நிரூபிக்க முடியவில்லை என்பது யார் தவறு?
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 22, 2020
Heartbreaking 💔💔💔
Mother’s words 💔
Hope justice finds them atleast after this @imrajmohan https://t.co/JnYUsykua3— DD Neelakandan (@DhivyaDharshini) June 25, 2020
