The CBI on Wednesday replied to the National Human Rights Commission’s notice over allegations of torture behind the suicide of former director general of corporate affairs B.K. Bansal and his family.

Sources said the agency has informed the NHRC that it has deputed a joint director-level officer to probe the allegations of torture by the former DG, who allegedly committed suicide along with his son on September 27. In suicide notes purportedly written by Bansal, he alleged that a CBI DIG, two women officers and a “fat” havaldar of the agency had tortured his wife and daughter after which both had committed suicide in July.

The NHRC had sent a notice to the CBI and asked it to file an action taken report within three days over contents of purported suicide notes of Bansal and his son. Bansal and his son Yogesh had hanged themselves on September 27, two months after the bureaucrat’s wife Satyabala and daughter Neha had committed suicide.

The commission had expressed “deep anguish and shock” and said it has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that “mental and physical torture” by some CBI officers during a probe in a corruption case led Bansal and his family to commit suicide.

Taking serious view of the alleged illegalities and human rights violation by the CBI, the commission had observed that the police are supposed to investigate the offences as per law and in a “human rights-friendly way”

Meanwhile, TV actor Anuj Saxena was directed to surrender before the CBI within two days by a special court in the graft case.

Special CBI judge Gurdeep Singh denied anticipatory bail to Saxena, the chief operating officer of Elder Pharmaceuticals, while dismissing his contention that if arrested by the CBI, he will meet the same fate as Bansal.