The death of a 34-year-old man in the custody of the Vadapalani police caused a furore among his relatives when they saw his body at a government hospital here on Sunday morning.

With the family of the victim, K. Muthu alias Muthulingam, alleging that he could have been beaten to death, the police registered a case of custodial death under Section 176(1) of the Cr.PC, which will be probed by a judicial magistrate. Vadapalani police Inspector (Crime) Natesan, Special Sub-Inspector V.K. Murthy and Head Constable Murugesan were suspended, according to a police release.

The police said Muthu, who hailed from Cuddalore, was picked up from his house at Virugambakkam in the early hours of Saturday, a day after his suspected accomplice Shahul Hameed, 34, of Thanjavur was arrested in connection with the theft of 25 sovereigns of gold jewels and Rs.12,000 from a lodge at Vadapalani on August 6, 2011.

The police claimed Hameed and Muthu confessed to the crime and that Muthu led them to a pawn broker. On the way, Muthu tried to flee from custody, but was apprehended immediately. He then complained of chest pain and was taken to a private hospital at Vadapalani, where he died at 7.15 p.m. on Saturday, police sources added.

But his family said Muthu was brought to his native place early on Saturday as part of the probe. Muthu's father Kuppusamy, 75, told The Hindu that his son was bleeding profusely when he was brought to Cuddalore.

“They also took away his cousin Shanmugam for questioning. They came on Saturday night and forcibly took me and my wife Rasammal in their vehicle without even letting us inform our relatives,” he said.

Muthu's mother Rasammal said they were kept in a lodge at Tambaram and brought in a police vehicle to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. They were informed on the way that Muthu had died of a heart attack.

A magistrate of the Egmore Court inspected Muthu's body on Sunday at the hospital, where a large posse of police was posted. An autopsy was done later and the body handed over to relatives.