Tamil Nadu police officers face murder charges in custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar; CBI found the theft allegation baseless and the High Court ordered state compensation
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What happened
In June 2025 police in Sivaganga district detained temple security guard Ajith Kumar, 27, over a reported missing gold chain; he died in custody, and the post-mortem recorded 18 injuries. On 22 July 2025 the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court called the treatment 'intolerable in a civilised society' and ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay Rs 25 lakh interim compensation, finding the state's Rs 7.5 lakh offer inadequate. The Chief Minister apologised and the case went to the CBI, which charged six police personnel in August 2025 and four more, including a deputy superintendent, in a supplementary chargesheet on 12 December 2025. On 10 September 2026 a Madurai sessions court framed murder charges under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against four officers and remanded them; the CBI told the court its probe found the victim was tortured and the theft allegation was baseless, and that local police elements were still trying to influence the case. The accused have not been convicted.
By the numbers (2)
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
Figures
1 source
- The News Minute
bringing the accused to 10 police personnel
1 source
- deccanchronicle.com
Rs 25 lakh interim compensation on top of the state's Rs 7.5 lakh
Sources (3)
Response
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.