Tue Jul 01 10:08:49 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the provided text followed by a rewritten version as a news article:

**Summary:**

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court is taking a serious view of the custodial death of B. Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard in Sivaganga. Kumar died after being tortured by police during an investigation into a gold theft reported at a temple. The court has demanded reports from various authorities, expressed displeasure with the initial state response, questioned the actions of the special police team involved, and ordered the transfer of the case to the CB-CID. The court is particularly concerned about the location of the interrogation (outside the police station) and allegations that DMK functionaries attempted to bribe the victim’s family.

**News Article:**

**Madurai High Court Demands Action in Sivaganga Custodial Death Case**

**Madurai, India – July 1, 2025** – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has expressed strong condemnation and demanded immediate action in the custodial death of B. Ajith Kumar, a 27-year-old temple security guard who died following alleged torture by police in Sivaganga.

Kumar was taken into custody on June 28th in connection with a complaint of missing gold at the Bhadrakali Amman Temple. Nikitha, who was visting the temple with her mother, Sivakami, reported ten sovereigns of gold were missing after giving her car key to Ajith Kumar to park the vehicle. Allegedly, a special police team interrogated Kumar at a secluded location, reportedly the temple cattle shed, rather than the police station. Petitions filed before the court allege Kumar was severely beaten with plastic pipes and iron rods.

Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete have ordered multiple reports, including a preliminary report from the Thirupuvanam Judicial Magistrate and a post-mortem report from the Dean of Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, due by 3 p.m. today. The Bhadrakali Amman temple executive officer and Shakthieeswaran, who filmed the alleged torture, have been summoned to appear before the court.

While the Tamil Nadu government stated that the police personnel involved had been arrested, the court voiced its dissatisfaction with the response, stating that it was not commensurate with the severity of the incident. “We want to assess your fairness by seeing what action is taken against the higher officials,” the court stated.

The court questioned the authorization of the special police team’s actions and why the inquiry was not conducted at the police station. The probe has since been transferred to the CB-CID.

Petitions seeking adequate compensation for the victim’s family and action against the responsible officials have been filed. There are also calls for a CBI/SIT probe into the matter.

Allegations have also surfaced that DMK functionaries attempted to reach a compromise with the victim’s family, allegedly offering ₹50 lakh and a government job. The court has taken these allegations seriously. This case has highlighted concerns about police brutality and accountability within the state.

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