Rajinikanth breaks silence on Sathankulam deaths, says cops must be punished

In a strongly-worded statement shared on his Twitter handle on Wednesday, Rajinikanth condemned the police custodial deaths at Sathankulam.

In a tweet in Tamil, Rajinikanth demanded justice for the father-son duo and said that the police officers involved should not be spared. "Even after killing the father and son brutally, which was opposed by the entire humanity, the cops had the audacity to disrespect the Magistrate. I was shocked by the behaviour of the cops. All involved should be punished," he said.

The custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks have caused a huge uproar. According to reports, Rajinikanth had spoken to their family members over phone recently.

Members of the film fraternity have also spoken up against the incident. Popular Tamil cinema director G. Hari, known for his blockbuster cop stories like Saamy, expressed concern over the Tuticorin deaths and 'regretted' his glorifying the police in five of his action flicks. He said a Sathankulam-like incident should not recur and said highest punishment for the culprits alone would ensure this.

"The excesses of a few personnel in the department has maligned the entire force. I really regret making five films glorifying the police," he said in the statement.

Known for his fast-paced action thrillers, Hari had churned out blockbuster cop stories 'Singam' and 'Saamy,' starring Surya and Vikram respectively in titular roles, following them up with sequels.

Makkal Needhi Maiam founder-president Kamal Haasan also sought justice for the father-son duo. In a statement, he said while financial assistance announced by the government was needed, however, the government should not stop with it.

He called for a detailed probe into the matter, saying all concerned should be punished for their role in the incident.