Madurai, Sep 10 — A sessions court in Tamil Nadu's Madurai on Thursday remanded four police personnel, including a former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), to judicial custody in connection with the custodial death of B. Ajithkumar at Madapuram in Sivaganga district.
The Additional District and Sessions Court framed a murder charge under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against former Manamadurai DSP N. Shanmugasundaram, former Thiruppuvanam Inspector S.P. Ramesh Kumar, former Sub-Inspector Sivakumar and former Head Constable Ilayaraja.
The court subsequently ordered that all four be remanded.
During the proceedings, the court noted that the accused had not moved bail petitions before the trial court.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the release of the four accused police officers, saying that granting bail could affect the investigation in the sensitive custodial death case.
The prosecution also told the court that a witness-protection order issued in the case had been arbitrarily withdrawn by the present Thiruppuvanam Inspector, Sethumani Mathavan.
The submission added to concerns raised before the court over the security of witnesses and the possible impact of the accused being released while the proceedings were underway.
The four police personnel had earlier approached the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court seeking bail.
The High Court directed them to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Madurai and execute bonds.
However, according to the material placed before the sessions court, they did not file bail applications there.
Ajithkumar, who worked as a security guard at the Madapuram Badrakali Amman Temple, died in June 2025 after being taken into police custody.
Police had detained him in connection with a complaint concerning missing jewellery.
The circumstances surrounding his death triggered allegations of custodial violence and led to a wider investigation.
The CBI subsequently took over the probe, arrested six police personnel and filed a chargesheet against them.
As the investigation progressed, the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet before the trial court against Shanmugasundaram, Ramesh Kumar, Sivakumar and Ilayaraja, alleging that they were also involved in Ajithkumar's death.
With the murder charge now framed and the four officers sent to judicial custody, the case will proceed before the Madurai sessions court.
The remand order marks a significant stage in the prosecution arising from the security guard's death and the subsequent inquiry into the conduct of police personnel connected with his detention.