Raghu

IT TAKES A LOT TO BE REVATHI…!!! While the whole country is celebrating the landmark judgement of death penalty for the NINE policemen in the Santhanakulam custodial torture and murder of Jeyaraj and Bennix, you should know about Revathi. Revathi was a constable in Santhanakulam police station in 2020 when the gruesome incident took place. She was the key witness and the sole reason for all the arrogant officers getting punished today. The police men involved in the brutality were all big men, Revathi was a small time constable. But she stood unperturbed. When Magistrate Bharathidasan, who initially investigated this case, arrived at the Santhanakulam police station he had no clue that constable Revathi will help close the case. "Sir, I will tell you everything, every detail, the truth that is being hidden. But I am the mother of two young girls... can you guarantee the safety of my children and my job?", she had asked the magistrate. Revathi was on night duty when the cruel incident took place. She witnessed the brutality being inflicted on Jeyaraj and Bennix and narrated every single detail. She told how SI Balakrishnan, inspector Sridhar and SI Ragukanes, kept beating the father and son with whatever they found, and how they also stomped on their private parts with their shoes. She remembered their screams. She saw how the officers took pause only to sip alcohol while the victims withered in pain. When the father and son were semi-conscious, unable to bear it, Revathi asked Jayaraj if he needed anything. She gave him coffee which the officials spilt it immediately. Revathi couldn’t stand the brutality but being a woman constable there was only so much she could do. She then offered water to the victims. The so called policemen then stripped Bennix naked, tied his hands and legs separately, and beat him up. They did the same to Jeyaraj. Revathi couldn’t bear the pain of their screams, she left the place. According to the postmortem report, their entire back was skinned, iron rods were inserted and they bled from their rectums. When the case was being discussed by the media, when even the CM of Tamil Nadu tried to brush it away, Revathi knew the truth. The police officials, cleaned up the station of any DNA evidences, erased the CCTV footage and warned everyone to shut-up and not try to become heroes. But Revathi didn’t just narrate the entire ordeal in exact detail…she even helped the investigating officials obtain other crucial information. Despite everything being cleaned, Revathi gathered DNA of the victims in crevices of the walls and floors, on furniture and other objects. She was questioned, threatened, intimidated, bribed and even abused. She stood by justice. She had to go against her colleagues for justice of comman man. In the time when police force is often looked upon with reasonable suspicion, there are people in uniform like Revathi. Today court could pronounce death sentence to nine police officers - only because one woman decided she will stand by truth! Kudos to Revathi, an amazing woman and an absolutely fabulous police officer. The world is a better place because of her courage. Salute ma’am 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽