Sivaganga custodial death case: Court summons accused police personnel

Madurai Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) K. Selvapandi has summoned four police personnel — then Manamadurai Deputy Superintendent of Police N. Shanmugasundaram; then Thirupuvanam Inspector P. Ramesh Kumar; then Sub-Inspector Siva Kumar; and then Head Constable Ilayaraja — who have been additionally named as accused in the Sivaganga custodial death case of temple security guard B. Ajith Kumar.

The CJM summoned the accused to appear before the court on February 25. Earlier, Nikitha, the complainant in the jewellery theft case connected to the custodial death case, was summoned to appear before the court on March 4.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the alleged jewellery theft connected to the illegal custodial death case of Ajith Kumar had been closed. So far, 10 police personnel have been named as accused in the custodial death case. The CBI has filed a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet in the case.

Five police personnel — Prabhu, Kannan, Sankara Manikandan, Raja, and Anand — were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. Later, Ramachandran (police driver), was also named as an accused and remanded in judicial custody. Subsequently, N. Shanmugasundaram, P. Ramesh Kumar, Siva Kumar, and Ilayaraja were additionally named as accused.

Ajith Kumar was a temporary security employee at Badrakali Amman Temple in Madapuram in Sivaganga district. On June 27, 2025, Nikitha from Tirumangalam in Madurai district and her mother visited the temple. She reportedly gave the car key to Ajith Kumar and asked him to park the vehicle, as she needed to help her mother, who had difficulties walking.

It is alleged that when Nikitha and her mother returned, they found their bag in the car open and the gold ornaments kept in it missing. Ajith Kumar was taken in for interrogation, during which he died the next day. The State government transferred the investigation in both the cases to the CBI.