Within two days after alleged harassment at the hands of the Hathras Police, two brothers in Uttar Pradesh died by suicide, officials said.
Pramod Singh was found hanging from a tree in a village near Agra on Monday, two days after his younger brother -- Sanjay -- took the extreme step, NDTV reported.
Leaving behind a suicide note, Pramod accused some officials at Hathras' Saadabad police station of harassing them. Based on a complaint from the family, an investigation was launched into the case.
Meanwhile, one of the officials from the police station was suspended and another was transferred to police lines.
Reportedly, Sanjay Singh was detained on June 9 by the police after his brother-in-law -- Laxman -- ran away with a woman from the village. The elder one -- Pramod -- was questioned on June 13.
It was also alleged that Sanjay was thrashed by some officers during his time in the custody, adding that they demanded a sum of Rs 1 lakh from him.
Sanjay was only released after he paid Rs 10,000, while promising that he would pay the rest of the amount later. Sanjay's nephew alleged that because of all the constant harassment and nudging from the police, he died by suicide on June 22.
Pramod meanwhile, was once again called in for questioning after his younger brother's suicide, following which he allegedly killed himself. "Pramod was being warned not to file a complaint about his brother's suicide," a family member was quoted as saying by NDTV.
The situation sparked tensions in the village, prompting police to tighten security arrangements to ensure maintenance of order in the region.
