Bongaigaon: A forest office in Chirang district of Assam faced protests on Sunday after a person died under mysterious circumstances on Saturday night in the custody of the forest department.

Personnel of the forest range office at Panbari had picked up Nikhil Mondol, 32, a small-time trader, from his house at Number 1 Bishnupur in Chirang on Saturday around 9.30am for allegedly smuggling timber and was brought to their office. The area is 7km from Panbari.

According to Mondol's family, the forest personnel had demanded Rs 5 lakh for his release. His family managed to raise Rs 1 lakh and approached the forest office the same day. The forest staff, however, neither accepted the amount nor did they release Mondol. They told his family to come on Sunday morning for his release.

On Sunday, around 6.30am, policemen from Panbari went to Mondol's residence and picked up his two brothers. They were brought to the forest office and sent to Kajalgaon civil hospital, which is 44km from Panbari, with Mondol's body for post-mortem.

Following this incident, residents of Panbari assembled in front of the forest office alleging that forest personnel had "killed" Mondol in custody. His family alleged that he had died after severe torture by forest personnel on Saturday night. The family denied that Mondol was involved in timber smuggling.

On Sunday, Mondol's family lodged a complaint with Panbari police station.

The superintendent of police, Chirang, Yubraj, said: "There should be a probe to ascertain whether it is a case of suicide or homicide."