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THOOTHUKUDI: The Thoothukudi Sessions Court on Saturday sentenced nine police personnel, including present Srivaikuntam Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and land grabbing wing
inspector, to life imprisonment in a 1999 custodial death case. The victim C Vincent (36), a salt pan worker of Mela Alangarathattu of Thoothukudi corporation, was detained by then sub
inspector Ramakrishnan for an inquiry over alleged possession of country bombs on September 17, 1999. He died of custodial torture the next day. Following a complaint lodged by the
victim's wife V Krishnammal, an RDO inquiry was conducted and a case was registered against 10 police personnel including Somasundaram, Jeyasekaran, Joseph Raj, Pichaiah, Chellathurai,
Veerapagu, Sivasubramanian, Subbaiah, Rathnasamy and Balasubramanian. Krishnammal took the case to the Supreme Court to include then sub inspector Ramakrishnan in the case, and the apex
court directed to name him as the first accused in 2007. The CPM provided legal assistance for the victim's family, however, due to the influence of police, the case was not taken up
for trials, till a high court order in June 2024, sources said.