Youth dies in police custody

A 22-year-old youth died, allegedly in police custody, in Odisha's Kandhamal district.
Pratap Pradhan, in custody of Sadar police station here, died of illness yesterday night.
Pradhan was apprehended by police on charge of extorting money from people posing as a Moaist ultra from Kalinga Ghat, police said.
DIG (Southern Range) Amitav Thakur, currently camping in Kandhamal, said the police had information that some youths posing as Maoists were engaged in extortion in the area.
A special squad of the police had nabbed Pratap from the spot at around 4 pm in the evening while his two accomplices managed to escape.

Police had taken Pratap in its vehicle to the places where he had extorted money. But all of a sudden, Pratap fell ill and was admitted to the district headquarters hospital at around 8 pm and died while undergoing treatment at hospital, Thakur explained.
Thakur said police were investigating the circumstances under which Pratap died.