Nine police officers have been sentenced to death in India over the deaths in custody of a father and son in 2020.
P Jeyaraj, 58, and his son Benicks, 38, both died in jail in the southern state of Tamil Nadu days after they were detained for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open in breach of lockdown rules during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two men were stripped and ruthlessly assaulted in front of each other, the sentencing judge said on Monday, describing the case as a clear abuse of authority.
They did this with the intention of killing, he said.
The officers, who were found guilty of murder last month, will be able to appeal against their sentences.
They attacked unarmed people. They should not be forgiven. They should not be given lesser sentences based on their age or family background. They are all educated, the judge stated at sentencing.
In total, ten police officers were arrested over the brutal deaths of the father and son, but one of the accused died of Covid in 2020.
The case triggered protests across Tamil Nadu, with state opposition lawmakers joining public demonstrations.
Notable figures like opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Indian cricket star Shikhar Dhawan demanded justice for the two men on social media.
The deaths have reignited discussions on police brutality in India, with rights groups indicating that hundreds die while in custody every year. Concerns over torture and abuse as part of policing have emerged as significant issues.
Earlier this year, several UN experts called on India to implement major reforms to align its policing system with international human rights standards.
