What happened on June 19? The death of a father and his son, victims of police tortures according to their family after their arrest, sparked in India a wave of indignation against the brutality of the police, some making the parallel with the murder in the States -United by George Floyd.
J. Jayaraj, 58, and Bennicks Immanuel, 31, were arrested on June 19 in the state of Tamil Nadu (south), accused of leaving their business open after legal time, despite the confinement in force. linked to the coronavirus pandemic. They died a few days later in hospital, according to official sources. Their families accuse the police of assaulting them and claim that they suffered from rectal bleeding. Two police officers involved in their arrest have been suspended, according to the state government.
"We demand the same justice as we did for George Floyd"
The deaths of the two men in the small town of Sathankulam sparked protests across the state, where traders went on strike on Wednesday. "The culprits must not go unpunished," Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas tweeted on Saturday. "We demand the same justice as we did for George Floyd," said actress Krystle D'souza. Lawyer and activist Jignesh Mevani wrote that "George Floyd of India are far too many."
A 46-year-old African-American, George Floyd, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, sparking riots in the United States and a wave of international outrage. According to a report by the National Human Rights Commission, 3,146 people died on Indian police premises in 2017-18. According to the same source, the police often claim that these are suicides or natural deaths.
"The violence and torture in the police premises (...) have become almost routine," accuses the organization. Human rights activists say police convictions are extremely rare.
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