Sambalpur: An uneasy calm gripped Bhalupali village on Saturday following the burial of Abinash Munda, who died in Ainthapali police custody on Friday.

A heavy security cordon accompanied the body to his village. The body was kept at the village for a short period before being taken to the burial ground in presence of the district collector and the police superintendent.

The villagers refused to accept the police theory that they 22-year-old tribal youth, his family's sole earning member, killed himself. His family members repeatedly branded his death as "murder".

Abinash's widowed mother Asrani said the police took him on the night of February 7 while he was sleeping in the house. They were not allowed to meet him at the police station. "The police told us that he was ill and had been admitted to hospital," his mother said.

"He was the family's sole bread earner. He was a social person and not involved in any unethical activities. His old mother and two younger brothers depended on his earnings," Abinash's uncle Hemanta said.

A three-member team of the police's human rights protection cell, led by G.K. Patnaik, arrived here and started investigation. They held discussions with northern range inspector general Sushanta Nath, police superintendent Sanjiv Arora and collector Samarth Verma. They also visited Ainthapali police station, the deceased's village and talked to his family members.

Verma and Arora also visited Bhalupali and held a peace committee meeting to convince the residents that proper investigations and ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the family members and Rs 30,000 from the district Red Cross fund for the last rites.

Verma has written to district judge Saroj Pati to conduct an investigation into the incident. A mob ransacked Ainthapali police station on Friday following Abinash's death in police custody.