Kottayam: A man who was taken into custody by the Manarcaud police on Monday was found hanging in the toilet of the police station on Tuesday morning.
Navas, 27, of Manarcaud was held by the police following complaints from his family that he had quarrelled with his brother in an inebriated state.
He went to the toilet by 9.13 a.m. on Tuesday and was found hanging with his lungi tied to his neck from the iron rod of the window in the toilet room at 10.53 am, according to district police chief S. Harisankar. A medical examination conducted on Monday had proved that he had consumed liquor, said police sources.
The DPC has entrusted the cyber cell DySP to investigate the incident. The special branch DySP will probe whether there was any custodial torture.
DGP Loknath Behra has asked the DPC to take stern action if any policeman was found guilty.
Kottayam special branch DySP R. Parthasarathy Pillai told DC that there was prima facie police lapse in keeping the man under surveillance. "The person went to the toilet evading the policeman on guard which should not have happened," he said.
An inquest on the body found no sign of custodial torture. The cause of death could be known only after the post-mortem on Wednesday.
