2 min readBhubaneswarUpdated: Oct 26, 2026 08:02 PM ISTProtests continued on Monday, with protesters blocking National Highway 326, which connects Asika in Odisha to Chinturu in Andhra Pradesh. (Express)The death of a 26-year-old youth after the Haryana Police picked him up from a village in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on suspicion of ganja smuggling has sparked protests in the town on Monday, with residents alleging that he was tortured in police custody.The youth, Tanup Dey, a resident of MV-65 village who works as an assistant at a local “light and sound agency”, was found hanging in a hotel room in the district on Monday, a day after a five-member Haryana Police team detained him. His family and other residents are demanding a probe into the death, alleging that he was assaulted and that the death was made to look like a suicide. The youth, Tanup Dey“When the locals objected to his detention by the police, the Haryana police team assured them that they would release him after questioning. In the evening, the police team took the deceased with them and checked into a hotel in Malkangiri town instead of taking the accused to a police station,” a protester said. “Why was he kept in a hotel room instead of the local police station?”Also Read | ‘They poured hot water, chilli powder on him’: Third custodial torture case from OdishaProtests continued on Monday, with protesters blocking National Highway 326, which connects Asika in Odisha to Chinturu in Andhra Pradesh. Police said additional forces had been deployed in the area, with reinforcements sent to the Malkangiri Police Station, where protesters had gathered in large numbers.Malkangiri SP Vindoh Patil didn’t respond to calls for a reaction. A senior police officer said a case would be registered and a probe launched. Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More Tags:bhubaneswar