An 18-year-old boy was found hanging in his room at a rented house in Sultanganj area of Patna City on Thursday night.

No suicide note was found, but the boy's father claims he was killed by the houseowner.

According to Sultanganj police, Angad Kumar, who was preparing for competitive exams and lived in the house of Rajendra Prasad in Gulabi Ghat, was found hanging from the ceiling fan. Sources said Angad lived there with his br-other Nandan Kumar but a few days back Nandan went to Sitamarhi. "Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide, but on a complaint by Angad's family, we have registered a case of murder," Sultanganj police station house officer (SHO) Dinesh Chandra Srivastava said.

"My son did not kill himself. He has been murdered by Rajendra Prasad," Angad's father Suraj Purbey said.

According to Sultanganj police, Rajendra Prasad reached the station on Thursday night to say his tenant had lo-cked himself from within. The police broke open the door to find Angad hanging. The police informed his father in Sitamarhi. Family members who arrived on Friday said it was murder, and refused to take possession of Angad's body.

Students from Sultanganj assembled to demand a probe. The police had a tough time pacifying them. "As the family refused to accept the body, no post-mortem could be conducted," the SHO said.

He said the police will check cellphone records of the person with whom Angad had talked the last time.