A tribal man in Sambalpur district allegedly died in police custody, sparking angry reaction among the locals who today attacked the police station. The police said that many of its personnel posted at the Ainthapali Police Station were injured when the protesters resorted to stone-pelting. The mob set ablaze vehicles parked in the premises of the police station, protesting 22-year-old Avinash Munda death, who was taken into police custody on a theft case and was found hanging inside the police lockup last night. Vital documents of the police station were also set on fire, the police said. Munda's family members staged a road blockade before the police station. Director general of police R P Sharma said three police personnel, including the inspector-in-charge of the police station, have been suspended. "If any policeman was found responsible, he will not be spared," the DGP said. Inspector General of Northern Range Sushant Nath said Munda was found hanging in the lockup and declared dead after he was taken to hospital. While the police claimed that Munda, a resident of Bhalupali village, had committed suicide by using a bed sheet, his family members alleged that he was beaten to death. The DGP said the superintendent of police and the district magistrate of Sambalpur have been asked to submit a report within 24 hours. The ADG of the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) has been asked to rush to the area, Sharma said. The IG appealed to the people to maintain peace and not to take the law in their hands.
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