HC Asks Lower Court To Ensure Speedy Trial In Avaniyapuram Custodial Death

Seven police personnel including then Avaniyapuram inspector chargesheeted in case

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Madurai

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently directed the VI Additional District and Sessions Court, Madurai to ensure speedy trial in the case pertaining to the alleged custodial torture and death of a 22-year-old youth M Balamurugan in Avaniyapuram in 2019. A bench comprising justices J Nisha Banu and S Srimathy passed the order on a suo motu petition filed in 2021 seeking to ensure that an FIR is registered and a fair probe is conducted, preferably by the CBI, in the aforesaid case.

The suo motu proceedings had been initiated by taking cognisance of a letter sent by advocate Henri Tiphagne on November 12, 2019. In his letter, Tiphagne had stated that the deceased Balamurugan was taken to police custody on October 20, 2019, in connection with kidnap of a youth for ransom, but he did not return home.