Patna, Sept. 10: A magisterial inquiry was today conducted into the death of a Giridih-based businessman, Anand Prasad Anand (55), in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody in Patna in the wee hours of Thursday. Anand had been arrested in connection with a bank forgery case.

Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said: “The inquiry was conducted as per NHRC guidelines. The report has been sent to the investigating agency.”

CBI joint director (Lucknow) Javed Ahmad said an arrest warrant was earlier issued against Anand in connection with a bank fraud case.

The CBI joint director said the process of post-mortem had been shot on video according to the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). “We have also informed the NHRC about the accused’s death,” he told The Telegraph over phone from Lucknow on Saturday.

Sources said Anand, a film distributor, was taken into custody by a CBI team headed by a deputy superintendent of police from his Esahari Bazar residence under Nimiaghat police station in Giridih on Wednesday. Subsequently, he was taken to Gomo from where he reached Patna by Janshatabdi Express on Wednesday night.

“On reaching Patna, Anand was taken to the CBI office off Bailey Road, where he met his relative, Vikas. The relative served him litti. After half-an-hour, Anand complained of abdominal pain and developed symptoms of nausea. He was immediately rushed to the government hospital at Shastrinagar,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad disclosed that Anand’s family was apprised of his health condition on phone and then taken to Patna Medical College and Hospital where he died.

“It is an unfortunate incident,” he said. He, however, refuted the charge of torture in custody saying: “He was in our custody for hardly 50 minutes to an hour.”

Elaborating, the officer said: “The question of interrogation or torture by the CBI does not arise as Anand was chargesheeted in the case around eight months ago. He was arrested for failing to turn up in the court even after repeated summons,” he said, adding that his relative, Vikas, was with him ever since he reached Patna.

However, Anand’s son, Sumer, alleged that his father died because of torture by the CBI officials during the course of interrogation.