The commission has also ordered a high-level inquiry into the case after its investigation division probed into the death of Mela Singh of Mansa district of Punjab in Lehragaga police station in December 1994, NHRC sources said today.

The wife of the victim had alleged in a complaint that her husband had been illegally detained by the police for four days and had died in police custody due to torture, they said, adding she had also alleged that the body of her husband had not been handed over to the family for last rites.

Pursuant to the directions of the commission, the Punjab Government had sent a report stating that Mela Singh had died following a heart attack in the police station's toilet, they said.

The report stated that a post-mortem report conducted in presence of the father of thedeceased brought out that the cause of death was heart failure, the sources said.

The commission on examining the report sought the report of the magisterial inquiry.

The sources said the SDM's report held that Mela Singh had fallen in the toilet and died of heart attack. It added that there was no evidence to suggest that he had been beaten or tortured.

The commission felt that the police version and the magisterial report ``over-enthusiastically concealed more than they disclosed'', they said, adding the commission directed its investigation division to conduct a probe.

According to the investigation division's report, the victim was an able-bodied small time farmer, whose vehicle had been hit by another vehicle while he was on his way to attend a cattle fair with his family.

This resulted in an altercation with the occupants of the other vehicle, they said, adding Mela Singh had beaten up one of the occupants who sustained injuries.

He was then taken away by the police and the SHO suggestedthat he should try to reach a compromise for the other party to settle the matter, the sources said.

On the basis of investigation, the commission asked for a high-level inquiry into the case, besides ordering immediate interim relief of Rs five lakh to the victim's family.