The Ramagundam police in Telangana took six people into custody on Wednesday, in relation with the mysterious death of a Dalit youth Manthani Madhukar.
Those in custody also involve a village sarpanch.
The New Indian Express reported that the police also placed Manthani CI A Prabhakar under vacancy, after he was criticised for allegedly trying to play down the case, as he was investigating it.
The TNIE report also added that a fresh autopsy of Madhukar's body would be conducted on April 7.
Last week, the suspicious death of the Dalit youth in Khanapur village, situated in Telangana's Peddapalli district, had triggered a controversy, with locals alleging that it was a murder.
25-year-old Manthani Madhukar was reportedly found dead on March 14, on the outskirts of Khanapur, under suspicious circumstances.
Several pictures and a video of Madhukar, with injuries on his private parts have since gone viral on social media.
Madhukar, a native of Kathalapur and a Dalit, was in a relationship with a girl from Venkatapur. The duo wanted to get married, but their parents rejected their proposal, as they belonged to different castes. Two days later, Madhukar was found dead with multiple injures near a canal.
The Manthani police registered a case of suspicious death on March 25, and said that they were investigating the matter.
Since then, Dalit organisations have claimed that the 'murder' was an 'honour killing', alleging that the victim was brutally murdered for his affair with an upper caste girl.
Several organisations like the DLF, DSU, TAYS and AISF conducted a joint fact finding investigation into the murder.
The fact-finding committee held that TRS MLA Putta Madhu and police officer Prabhakar were involved in the murder, and demanded that they be arrested under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
The organisation also claimed that relatives of the girl, and the village Sarpanch also conspired to murder Madhukar.