Marfat Sheikh, the father of an accused in the March 21 Bogtui massacre Jehangir Sheikh, along with a few of his relatives reached the CBI camp office in Birbhum’s Rampurhat on Monday night to ask whether his son was safe.

One of the main accused in the Bogtui case, Bara Lalon Sheikh, was found hanging in CBI custody earlier that evening.

Jehangir has been arrested by the CBI on December 6 from a hideout in Jharkhand. He was supposed to be in the custody of the central agency’s camp office till Tuesday afternoon.

Jehangir, the stepbrother of slain Trinamul deputy chief of Barshal gram panchayat Bhadu Sheikh, whose murder reportedly triggered the carnage, is another prime accused in the case along with Bara Lalon Sheikh.

“I heard that Bara Lalon died in the camp office. His family members have accused the CBI of murdering him. So, I came here to enquire whether my son is safe,” said 70-year-old Marfat.

A relative of Marfat said they feared Jehangir might meet Lalon’s fate. “However, after speaking to the police we were confirmed that he was safe,” Marfat said.

Jehangir was produced in a Rampurhat court on Tuesday afternoon. His production was delayed as villagers protesting against Lalon’s death did not allow the CBI to take him to court.

Though the CBI usually wants to keep a prime accused in their custody for interrogation beyond seven days, the central agency prayed for Jehangir’s judicial custody on Tuesday.

Lawyers said the changed stance of the CBI was the impact of Lalon’s custodial death on Monday.

“In earlier arrests, the court had provided CBI custody of an accused at least twice. In this case, they could have kept Jehangir in their custody.

But given Lalon’s death, they deliberately appealed for Jehangir’s judicial custody,” an advocate of Rampurhat court said.

Surajit Sinha, a public prosecutor of Rampurhatcourt, confirmed the CBI’splea.

“The CBI had appealed for judicial custody and the court approved. Jehangir has been sent for days of judicial custody,” said Sinha.

Sources said the CBI was in search of a hard drive of CCTV cameras installed at the house of Lalon, which went missing since the massacre on the night of March 21.

Sources said the CBI did not take any chances by keeping Jehangir again in their custody at a time their officers were facing murder charges following Lalon’s death.

Lalon’s custody death has exposed the CBI to questions, including the presence of a shower pipe in an accused’s bathroom.

“Murder or suicide (in Lalon’s death) is yet to be proven. There is a complaint of murder. Even if we consider suicide, the CBI can’t deny its responsibility. The basic rule is not to keep options in the bathroom like a hook or rod from where anyone can hang himself from. The CBI should have removed the pipe before keeping Lalon there,” said a police officer.