Tension gripped the pilgrim town of Puri following the death of a person in police custody on Wednesday night.

While the local residents are demanding a judicial probe into the incident, Puri police have denied having committed any excesses.

Another alleged custodial death was reported from Biramitrapur police station in Sundergarh district.

DGP Abhya assured a fair probe into the matter and said the investigation, including the post-mortem of the two bodies, were being held in accordance with the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission. “Both the deaths are unfortunate. We have started a probe as per the NHRC guidelines,” the DGP said.

According to the allegation, a person named K. Ramesh was whisked away by the police from his house in Puri on Wednesday night. He was later found dead in the district headquarters police hospital.

Puri SP Akhileswar Singh told reporters, “Ramesh, 33, had criminal antecedents. He was released from the Talcher-Angul jail recently. When we got a tip-off that he was a planning a crime, we raided his place. However, the accused got into a scuffle with the cops during his arrest and sustained injuries. Later, we admitted him to the district headquarters hospital where he passed away while undergoing treatment.”

However, the locals refused to buy the police theory. Demanding a judicial probe, they organised a protest rally at the Puri Medical Square on Thursday and submitted a memorandum to the district collector. The agitators also had a scuffle with the cops deployed at the hospital when they tried to forcibly enter the premises to see the post-mortem.

Puri’s BJP unit and Congress also organised rallies protesting alleged police excesses.

“We don’t support criminals. But the way the district police have started picking up people from their homes and are trying to create terror is not acceptable. Cases should be filed against the police officials involved,” Congress leader Binyak Das Mohapatra said.

Puri Bar association members staged demonstrations demanding a judicial probe.

Puri Bar association secretary Ashok Kumar Das said, “The police officer involved in the crime should be suspended and a judicial probe should be ordered.”

A delegation of BJP MLAs on Thursday evening met the deceased’s family members.

In the Sundergarh custodial death case, SP Sagarika Nath said, “The accused Tariq Salim had been involved in the kidnapping of a businessman a few days back. Following complaints of uneasiness, he was shifted to the hospital where he died. An inquiry is on in accordance with the NHRC guidelines.”

Sources said Tariq, who worked at a garage, had allegedly been picked up by the police on Wednesday evening and brought to Biramitrapur police station for questioning in connection with a kidnapping case.