Lucknow, July 8 - Three Uttar Pradesh policemen were suspended Wednesday for allegedly beating to death a 60-year-old Dalit man in their custody, an official said.

Rajbal, a resident of the Shikar village in Muzaffarnagar district, died in the Chapaar police station Tuesday and his body was left outside the district hospital in Muzaffarnagar, some 350 km from Lucknow.

'Preliminary investigation reveals Rajbal died in police custody. We registered a murder case against one inspector and two constables and have also suspended them,' Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mehrotra told IANS.

Rajbal was brought to the police station Tuesday afternoon for interrogation following a complaint related to a land dispute, he added.

Angry people vandalised the police station after the news of Rajbal's death spread in the village. Angry villagers also blocked the Delhi-Dehradun highway for hours.

Additional security has been deployed in the village and its nearby areas.

'The situation is still tense, but under control. We have assured the villagers of strict action against the policemen responsible for the murder,' said Mehrotra.