Cuttack: Three police personnel were suspended following the death of a man due to alleged torture in custody at Choudwar station in Odisha's Cuttack district. The suspended officials include the the ACP Biswa Ranjan Sahu, Sub Inspector (SI) Niranjan Goda and constable Kamal Lochan Majhi. Their suspension came on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after allegations of third degree torture surfaced and the deceased's wife filed a formal complaint accusing the police to have beaten him to death. The man, Rasananda Nayak (38), was found hanging in the police washroom on Monday afternoon. It is still unknown whether he died by suicide or was subjected to severe assault leading to his death.

As per reports, Rasananda- a resident of Shankarpur village in Dhenkanal district- had been detained at the police station in a vehicle theft case on Sunday night. His wife Puja said that she received a call from police on Monday that her husband had fallen sick and has been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. However, when she reached, she found him dead.

While the exact reason behind Rasananda's death is still not clear, his kin alleged that he was tortured and beaten ruthlessly resulting in his death. One of his relatives claimed that Rasananda had confessed to the theft during interrogation and even returned two stolen bikes. But the three policemen thrashed him with a pipe and forced him to admit to other crimes, he said.

Police, meanwhile, informed that eight criminal cases were pending against Rasananda at various stations in Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. "He was immediately rushed to the hospital after one of the security guards noticed him hanging in the afternoon. After over an hour-long treatment, he succumbed," informed Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo. The DCP had also informed that allegations of custodial torture will be investigated from all angles and if any lapse on part of the police is established, stringent action will be taken.