Police Inspector G Sekaran told reporters that T Subramani was involved in over 13 theft cases. He was arrested yesterday and lodged in the police station lock-up.
As he suffered chest pain, police took him to the JIPMER hospital at Puducherry, but he died in hospital, the Inspector said.
Melpattampakkam villagers staged a road roko for over an hour today, alleging that Subramani died because of police torture.
Shops in the area remained closed today.