Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami said yesterday that the Central Bureau of Investigation would probe the deaths of a father and son from alleged torture at the hands of police.
The case has sparked outrage across India, with many drawing parallels with the killing of George Floyd in the United States.
It has thrown a new spotlight on police brutality just weeks after the killing of Floyd, an African-American man, by a white police officer in the US led to worldwide protests.
Palaniswami said the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has taken up the case.
He said when the case comes up for hearing, the government will inform the court about its decision to transfer the probe to the CBI.
J Jayaraj, 58, and Bennicks Immanuel, 31, were arrested on June 19 and accused of keeping their store open past permitted hours in Sathankulam, in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, which has reimposed a lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
They died in hospital a few days later, officials said, with their family alleging in written complaints that they were severely abused by police and had suffered rectal bleeding.
Two policemen involved in the alleged torture were suspended.
The deaths triggered a protest last week and shopkeepers across Tamil Nadu staged a strike on Wednesday.
“Reeling from what I’m hearing. Absolutely stunned, sad and angry... the guilty must not be allowed to go unpunished,” tweeted Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Saturday.
“Let’s demand for the same justice we did for George Floyd,” said actress Krystle D’Souza.
“Details are scary and gut wrenching,” tweeted Taapsee Pannu.
“Hope this is investigated thoroughly and justice prevails,” said Anushka Sharma in her Instagram story.
“Every single cop involved in their death needs to pay for this. I cannot imagine the pain the father and son went through.#JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix,” Parineeti Chopra said.
Actors Rajkummar Rao, Kriti Kharbanda, Gauhar Khan and several others shared a video of a radio jockey from Chennai who describes how the father-son were killed.
Sharing the video, Advani posted: “Absolutely horrific.#JusticeForJayarajAndFenix.”
“The cops need to be arrested for murder charges. This isn’t torture by cops, this is what rapists  do. #JusticeforJayarajAndFenix,” expressed Esha Gupta.
Actor and standup comedian Vir Das tweeted: “What happened to a father and son at the hands of those policemen is wrong at every human level and every single person irrespective of place of origin or political belief needs to stand up for them. It is plain horrific and wrong. DEMAND action.#JusticeforJayarajAndFenix”
State politician, social activist and lawyer Jignesh Mevani wrote that the “George Floyds of India are far too many”.
“Will Indians march on streets in thousands like in America?” he tweeted.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described it as a “tragedy when our protectors turn into oppressors”.
Several reports by human rights groups in India have detailed cases of alleged torture of suspects in custody, with deaths often blamed by police on suicide or natural causes.
According to the National Human Rights Commission, 3,146 people died in police and judicial custody in 2017-18.
“Custodial violence and torture is so rampant in India that it has become almost routine,” it said in a report.
“It represents the worst form of excesses by public servants entrusted with the duty of law enforcement.”
Convictions in such cases are extremely rare, according to activists.