A 26-year-old farmer died in Badavan village of violence-hit Mandsaur district, with locals today alleging that he was beaten up by policemen.

In Indore, sources in MY Hospital, where the farmer, Ghanashyam Dhakad, was taken last night, said he was brought dead and that his body bore signs of assault.

However, police said the circumstances of his death were unclear and they were awaiting his post mortem report.

Mandsaur Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh, who along with Collector O P Srivastava reached the area and spoke to villagers, said that an FIR has been lodged.

After the post mortem report is received, relevant sections of law will be added in the FIR, he said.

The district was on the boil after five persons were killed in police firing during protests on Tuesday by farmers who are seeking loan waiver and higher prices for the farm produce among other things.

This is the sixth death of farmer reported in the district.

According to villagers, Dhakad was on his way to a temple last evening when some policemen stopped him and thrashed him with sticks.

The farmer was taken to the MY Hospital in Indore where he died, they said.

Angry villagers in the area claimed that they were targeted by police and gave a list of 11 "missing people".
The SP and the Collector assured the villagers that a fair and transparent probe will be carried out in the allegations.

Former MP and Congress national secretary Sajjan Singh Verma reached the hospital today and demanded a probe into the matter. He alleged that the farmer was beaten to death.

Three associates of the farmer - Dinesh Malwi, Shivnarayan Malwi and Ganesh Malwi - are also missing, the Congress leader alleged.

He said police should find out their whereabouts. He also demanded a murder case be registered against the SP in the matter.

A panel should be formed to carry out the postmortem and the entire process should be videographed, he said.

Former Congress MP Meenakshi Natarajan, who was at the spot, said she would meet the SP to demand compensation for the family of the deceased farmer.