Finally cracking the whip on Monday, the Madhya Pradesh [Images] government suspended three policemen, including city superintendent of police, on the charge of dereliction of duty in connection with the death of a professor who was allegedly manhandled by students during college union polls last week.

City superintendent of police, Manoj Singh and the in-charges of two police stations, Yashwant Rundwal and Y P Singh, were suspended in connection with the death of Prof H S Sabharwal of Madhav College who was supervising students' union elections.

Sabharwal was mobbed by agitating students, allegedly belonging to ABVP, after he cancelled the polls following charges of irregularities. He died from his wounds.

In a related development, three of the five accused belonging to pro-Bharatiya Janata Party Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad were arrested for allegedly manhandling and throwing mud at another professor during the elections, police said.

ABVP activists Satish Sharma, Parmanand Bhargav and Gagan Singh Raghuvanshi were arrested Monday morning for allegedly mandhandling and throwing mud at Sabhwaral's former colleague M L Nath on August 26, after the professor and his two colleagues cancelled the union elections, police said.

Two others, Sudhir Yadav and Hemant Dubey, had been arrested on Sunday for the same offence, police said.

The attack on Sabharwal set off a series of allegations and counter allegations between National Students Union of India, the students' front of Congress, and ABVP workers.

An autopsy report confirmed Sabharwal was beaten up as two of his ribs were broken and lungs bled, causing his death.

A magisterial probe was ordered into the incident while three cases were registered, including one filed by a college peon, Komal Singh Sengar, for Sabharwal's murder and that for manhandling and throwing mud at Nath. Meanwhile, NSUI enforced a bandh in Ujjain to protest the death of the professor.