Malappuram (Kerala), Aug 2 (PTI) Eight police officers, including a sub-inspector, of a police station in this northern Kerala district were suspended on Wednesday pending the probe into the custodial death of a man, picked up for alleged drug possession, a day ago.

A special branch officer of the district confirmed the suspension of the eight officers of Tanur Police Station who had caught Tirurangadi resident Jifri for allegedly possessing synthetic drugs.

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30-year-old Jifri, an alleged drug peddler with criminal antecedents, was taken into custody along with four others by the police based on a tip-off and the gang was detained for possessing 18.14 grams of MDMA, a synthetic drug, on Tuesday, police had said.

"They were brought to the police station at around 1.30 AM. At around 4.30 AM, he collapsed. Jifri was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead," the police had said.

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A case of unnatural death was registered subsequently, it had said and added that a thorough investigation has been ordered into the incident.

It had also said that a Crime Branch Deputy SP will probe the custodial death of Jifri, while the Special Branch Deputy SP will investigate any lapses on the part of the police officials.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)