Bhubaneswar, July 5: The family members of Sanjay Das, who died yesterday in the custody of Mancheswar police, today protested near DCP Nitinjeet Singh’s office demanding a probe into the death.

Later they approached the Odisha Human Rights Commission seeking its intervention in the matter. Mancheswar police today forwarded to court two persons on allegations of beating up Das before handing him over to the police early on Wednesday.

Das, a resident of Balianta on the city outskirts, was detained by Mancheswar police after allegedly being caught stealing car batteries near Kuakhai pump house. The police found him injured because local residents had beaten him up. Das was taken to Capital Hospital where doctors released him after preliminary treatment. But after around four hours, Das had complained of pain and he was immediately taken to a private hospital near Acharya Vihar Square, police said. But he apparently died within minutes of being admitted.