Theft case against Ajith Kumar closed for lack of evidence: CBI tells HC

Madurai: The jewellery theft case against the Madapuram temple security guard B Ajith Kumar, who was beaten to death by the Sivaganga district police while in custody, has been closed due to lack of evidence, CBI told Madras high court on Wednesday.When Justice S Srimathy asked whether the allegations of jewellery theft were true, the CBI replied in the negative, prompting the judge to remark that a person had been beaten to death for nothing. She then asked whether action would be initiated against the complainant (Nikitha), who was the root-cause of the incident, in the theft case. To this, the CBI submitted that a report would be filed in this regard.The court was hearing the bail petitions filed by four police personnel -- Ananth, Raja, Prabhu and Sankaramanikandan -- who were arrested after the custodial death of Ajith Kumar. Further hearings on the bail petitions were adjourned to Feb 16.Ajith Kumar who was working as a security guard at Batharakaliamman temple at Madapuram when he was arrested on theft charges. He was thrashed by cops, resulting in his death in custody on June 28, 2025.He was first picked up by the police for the suspected theft of gold jewellery from a car owned by Nikitha of Madurai district. After the public outcry, the state had transferred the custodial death case and the connected jewellery theft case to the CBI. The central agency arrested six policemen -- Prabhu, Kannan, Sankaramanikandan, Raja, Ananth and Ramachandran, who is the driver of the van in which Ajith Kumar was transported.Initially the CBI had filed the final report before the fifth additional district and sessions court in Madurai against six police personnel. It then filed a supplementary chargesheet naming four more police personnel – the then Manamadurai DSP Shanmugasundaram, the then Thiruppuvanam inspector Rameshkumar, the then sub-inspector Sivakumar and the then head constable Ilayaraja -- as accused in the case.