UP: Man dies of 'illness' in police custody, magisterial probe ordered

A 25-year-old man arrested for stealing mustard seeds died in police custody after allegedly falling ill, police said on Wednesday.

The family of the man alleged that he was tortured by the police and the authorities have ordered a magisterial probe into the matter.

Shivam was arrested by the Punnuganj Police on Monday and he fell ill on Tuesday evening, the police said, adding the man was taken to the district hospital where he died.

District Magistrate S Rajalingam ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and directed SDM, Prakash Chand to probe the matter, ADM Yogendra Bahadur said.

Station House Officer Ram Narain Ram of Pannuganj Police Station was suspended and a murder case has been lodged against him and an unnamed person, Additional Superintendent of Police O P Singh said.

The victim's family alleged that Shivam was "mercilessly beaten" in the police station because of which he died.

"He was fine when we had met him on Tuesday around 5 pm but around 7 pm we got the news through the gram pradhan that he was taken ill," Shivam's father Umapati Shukla said.

Shukla alleged the station house officer "murdered his son" and demanded strict action against him.

The family members also staged a sit-in on Varanasi-Shaktinagar road demanding the arrest of suspended SHO.