Chennai, Dec 23 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police has transferred the case of a phone theft suspect dying after being questioned by the local police, to the CB-CID.

The incident occurred on Tuesday. According to the police, K Dhinesh Kumar of Perambur who is a plumber by profession was travelling in a bus along with his friend, Ramachandran. Dhinesh, according to the police, stole the mobile phone of a software engineer, J. Stephen Claudia who after alighting from the bus was picked up by a friend on a two wheeler. The engineer found that his phone had been stolen and chased the bus. He identified Dhinesh Kumar who had been standing close to him.

He caught hold of Dhinesh Kumar along with the other passengers and handed him over to the Thoraipakkam police. On interrogation, he confessed that he had stolen the phone and called his wife Kausalya from the telephone of a policeman and asked her to contact his friend Ramachandran who was in possession of the phone.

The phone was handed over to the police and after two hours, Dhinesh Kumar was released from police custody. After reaching home, he complained of dizziness and was taken to a hospital where a doctor examined him and told him to take rest. However, later in the evening he complained of uneasiness and was taken to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The family of Dhinesh Kumar including his mother, wife and his brothers claimed that the deceased was tortured in the police station and that he died due to police torture.

The brother of Dhinesh Kumar, Senthil Kumar, filed a police complaint and a case has been registered at Thiru Vi Ka Nagar police station Under Section 176-(1-A) of the CrPC and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered.

There have been several such deaths in Tamil Nadu due to alleged police torture.