A 40-year-old villager of North Dinajpur died on Friday night after a police team raided the village in search of him, with his family members alleging that police had beaten him to death.

The police raid, sources said, was done at Bemdangi village in Bishnupur under Hemtabad police station.

“A police team reached our house late last night (Friday) in search of my brother Osman Ganishul. He fled from home. The team chased him. After some time, the cops returned and said a case was filed in his name. They claimed they couldn’t find him and asked us to tell him to surrender at the police station in a day or two,” said Amshed Ali, the victim's brother, adding he did not know which crime Osman was accused of.

As Osman didn’t return home, his family searched for him. On Saturday morning, they found his body in a cornfield.

“We suspect the police beat him to death. We want a CBI probe. If he is guilty of a crime, he should be arrested and produced in court,” Ali said, alleging there were multiple injury marks on Osman’s body.

Senior policemen refused to comment on the issue.

District officials said the body had been recovered.

"A magistrate-level officer has been sent to conduct the inquest," said Kingshuk Maity, the subdivisional officer of Raiganj.