Pinya was suspected to have been involved in a dacoity. The police said he bolted on seeing the police that had come to his hamlet to arrest him on Monday, stumbled on an obstacle, and later succumbed to injuries caused by the fall.

Pinya's kin, however, claim that he died in Baramati police station after being thrashed by the policemen. Ashok Dhivre, DSP, Pune Rural, ordered an inquiry the next day. Laxman Gaikwad, noted Marathi writer, on Tuesday addressed a press conference demanding suspension and arrest of policemen responsible for allegedly beating Pinya to death.

The State Government on Thursday asked the CID to take over the probe.The police do not have any witnesses to corroborate theirclaim. When asked where did Pinya fall and what was the nature of his injuries, they had no answer. The panchnama does not mention any external injury.

In fact, Pinya's widow Chanda told this reporter on Thursday that she was totally unaware of Pinya's death till late Monday night. Why the police did not inform her immediately about the incident if Pinya suffered grievous injuries after the fall, remains a mystery, now to be solved by the CID.Chanda says that Pinya had gone to the village flour mill at about 5 p m when he was picked up by two policemen and thrashed in full public view. This was, incidentally, that part of the day when even a small settlement like Tandulwadi would have had several persons, at least around the flour mill.

Pinya's wife claims her husband was physically fit when he was arrested. The Pune rural police have not yet come forward with any explanation on what kind of a fall the sturdy Pinya had and what kind of injuries he suffered that led to his death a few hours later.

Chandawas summoned to the Baramati police station late Monday night. She went there with her mother. The policemen, she told this reporter, kept asking her whether Pinya suffered from any prolonged illness. The two women were not immediately informed of Pinya's death.

Chanda claims that the policemen promised to offer jobs to her and her children. She said the policemen took her thumb impression on some document after she fell unconscious when shown her husband's body. Her mother told her this later.

Chanda and Pinya's son Vaijnath alleged that the police buried Pinya at Tandulwadi in the absence of his relatives. Chanda protested the burial by the police. But two constables held her tight while others went ahead with the hush-hush burial.

Additional Director General of Police M S Singh, told The Indian Express on Wednesday evening that DSP Dhivre had sent a report to him even before the State Government handed over the probe to the CID, asserting that Pinya had apparently died of injuries suffered bythe fall when the police went to arrest him.

DSP Mangaldas Ahiwale said Pinya was rounded up and brought to the police station on Monday evening but he escaped and went home.

The police went to his house to rearrest him on Tuesday morning when he tried to run away, stumbled and fell. Ahiwale said the report mentioned no external injury. The Dy SP, however, refused to comment any further.