Chennai, July 9 -- The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged custodial death of a 29-year-old temple security guard in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district, turning down the state government's plea for "one last chance" and stressing that the serious suspicion surrounding state officials warranted an independent investigation by the central agency. A bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and AD Maria Clete of the Madurai bench of the high court directed CBI to complete its probe and file its report before the court by August 20. Additional advocate general Ajmal Khan, who appeared for the state, argued that CBI had been entrusted with important investigations in the past as well such as in the cases of the 2018 violence that took place during a protest against the proposed expansion of a copper smelter plant run by Sterlite Corporation in Thoothukudi, and the 2020 custodial deaths of father and son duo Jayraj and Benix, in Sattankulam district in Tamil Nadu. "But in both these cases, the central agency had failed to make any headway despite so many years having passed," Khan argued. He instead urged the court to let the State continue probing the present case and suggested the court appoint a special investigating team (SIT). The judges however, refused the state's request and said that once an element of "suspicion had been raised on the conduct of the state's own police personnel, there was no point in letting it carry on with the investigation or even constituting any special teams composed of the state's own officials."...