Madurai, April 9 -- Nine police officers on Monday, April 6, were sentenced to death for the sensational 2020 Sathankulam custodial killings of trader P Jayaraj and his son J Bennicks.

The landmark judgement was made possible in part due to female constable R Revathi's testimony, who witnessed the assault personally.

On June 19, 2020, Revathi was on night shift at the Sathankulam Police Station in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. She was 37 at the time and 14 years into her police service.

"I had never witnessed such cruelty," she told The New Indian Express.

Recounting the incident after the court handed the verdict, she said the accused police officers excessively used force against the victims after Bennicks tried defending his ...