Chennai: On Tuesday, the Madras High Court granted Rs 25 lakh as interim relief to the family of B Ajith Kumar, who was violently assaulted by police while in custody, resulting in his death.

Ajith Kumar, who served as a guard at the Madapuram Badrakaliamman Temple in Tirupuvanam, passed away on June 29 after being severely beaten by six policemen investigating his alleged involvement in the disappearance of jewellery from a vehicle.

The court found the Rs 7.5 lakhs proposed by the Tamil Nadu government as compensation to the family to be “insufficient,” especially considering the post-mortem report that revealed numerous injuries on the deceased.

Consequently, the court mandated that the government provide Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to the family.

The circumstances surrounding Ajith Kumar’s death in police custody sparked significant public outrage, prompting the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court to intervene, which led Chief Minister M K Stalin to assign the case to the CBI. In response, the Tamil Nadu police suspended six officers—five of whom are currently in judicial custody—along with the deputy superintendent of police (Manamadurai), while Superintendent of Police Ashish Rawat was reassigned to a waiting list.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated a murder case against the six policemen on July 12 and has taken over the investigation.

The government faced increased scrutiny and criticism after a video surfaced online showing the six policemen brutally beating the young man despite his cries for help.

Ajith Kumar, employed as a security guard at the Madapuram Badrakaliamman Temple in Tirupuvanam, located in the Sivaganga district, died following alleged torture by six members of a “special team” created to investigate a complaint from a mother and daughter regarding the disappearance of 10 sovereigns of gold from their car.

The pair requested Ajith Kumar to park their vehicle, and it is believed that the victim sought assistance from others to park the car. Subsequently, the women claimed that 10 sovereigns of gold were missing from their vehicle.

The police apprehended Ajith Kumar, his brother Naveen Kumar, and three others, releasing them by the evening of June 27. However, they were taken into custody again and transported to various locations where the deceased was assaulted.

Naveen Kumar, the deceased’s brother, who was also detained by the ‘special police team,’ alleged that he witnessed his brother being severely beaten in front of him. He was pronounced dead at a private hospital where he was taken on the morning of June 29.