A leader of the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar was found hanging in the toilet of a police station in Bihar Sharif area on Thursday night, PTI reported. Ganesh Ravidas, 45, was found hanging from the ceiling of the toilet at Nagarnausa police station in Nalanda district.

Ravidas was the block president of the party’s Mahadalit cell. He had been detained by the police for questioning in connection with the kidnapping of a girl. Ravidas had not been named as an accused in the case.

Ravidas’ supporters stormed the police station following his death and began pelting stones. They alleged that injury marks on his forehead showed he was tortured before he committed suicide.

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The supporters said that Ravidas had helped the girl marry her lover, and helped them elope to some far-off city. The girl’s father then filed a case of abduction. The residents alleged that the police was in cahoots with the girl’s father and was pressuring Ravidas to reveal her whereabouts.

Central Range Deputy Inspector General Rajesh Kumar ordered the arrest of Nagarnausa Station House Officer Kamlesh Kumar, Additional Sub-Inspector Balwinder Rai and Chowkidar Sanjay Paswan. The family members of Ravidas have registered a case against the three accused under the SC/ST Act, a communication from the Nalanda district administration said.