New police officers from India have been sentenced to death for torturing and killing two people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a ruling pronounced on Monday, a judge in India found new defendants, police officers, guilty of torture and murder, applying the maximum penalty. Jayaraj, 58, and his son, J. Benicks, 31, were arrested on June 19, 2020, for not closing their mobile phone store, according to the quarantine imposed by the authorities. They were taken to the police station, where they were subjected to severe physical abuse. Jayaraj died two days later from his injuries, and his son passed away the next day.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) emphasized that these crimes represent a serious violation of human rights, which has shaken the entire society. Capital executions are rare in India, the last occurring in March 2020, following a case of rape and murder that sparked national outrage.