Patna: The station house officer (SHO) of Bhagwanpur police station in Kaimur district, Chandramani Kumar, was suspended on Sunday for his alleged involvement in a custodial death. The deceased's wife, Laxmina, had filed a complaint case in the local court on Saturday.

Chandramani and seven other police personnel posted at Bhagwanpur police station have been accused of physically harassing Puran Chero in police custody after he was picked up from Padari village on December 16 for brewing and selling country liquor.

Puran, according to the complaint, died during treatment at a hospital in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on December 20. He was detained for allegedly violating the prohibition law and was admitted to Bhagwanpur primary health centre from where he was referred to Bhabua Sadar hospital.

"The doctors referred my husband to Varanasi after his condition deteriorated. He died in a Varanasi hospital owing to the way police tortured him during interrogation," said Laxmina.

The police allegedly snatched the body from Puran's family when it was being taken taken to his village from Varanasi after post-mortem. "They snatched the body to tamper with proof," Laxmina alleged in the court complaint.

Apart from the SHO, sub-inspector Birbal Yadav and havildar Bhonji, five special police officers have been made named accused in the complaint. Some special auxiliary police personnel have also been charged with harassing Puran in police custody.

The incident snowballed into a controversy after the deceased's relatives and some local residents, led by former MLA Ramchandra Yadav, demonstrated at the district headquarters. The protest later turned violent and the police had to use force to contain the situation.

"The traders of Bhagwanpur market kept their shops shut for three days to vent their ire against police atrocities. The district administration clamped Section 144 of CrPC in the town as a precautionary measure," said former MLA Yadav.

Kaimur superintendent of police Harpreet Kaur confirmed the SHO's suspension and said the allegations against the other policemen were being verified. An FIR has been lodged against 40 named and 500 unidentified people for indulging in arson and road blockade at the block headquarters.