Four policemen arrested for suspect’s custody death

The deceased and several of his kin were accused of robbery.

KASUR:

Four police men were arrested on Monday in Kasur for allegedly killing a robbery suspect after having detained him and his uncle at an unidentified location for about 10 days.

Bhela Roshan police post in charge Kifayat Hussain, ASI Yasin and four constables allegedly arrested the deceased, Sarwar, and his uncle, Ashiq Hussain, after recovering a mobile phone from them. The mobile phone, the police said, was among the items mentioned by Zafarullah alias Nannay Khan (in case no56/211) that were taken away from his house in robbery some days ago.

Kasur DPO Gohar Nafees said that ASI Yasin and three constables had been arrested and suspended from duties. He said the post in charge, Hussain, and a constable had gone in hiding.

He said that he had directed the Shaikham police to trace both officials as soon as possible.

The DPO said he had also suspended Shaikhum police station house officer Atta Mustafa from his duties.

On Sunday, the accused police men dropped Hussain and his nephew Sarwar at the Kasur district headquarters (DHQ) hospital.

The doctors at the emergency ward said Sarwar died before they could start treatment.

They said that Hussain was discharged on Monday.

SHO Atta Mustafa had rejected on Sunday rejected the allegation that Sarwar had died due to police torture. He said that the man and his uncle were being questioned in a robbery case. He said that Ashiq and Sarwar had attempted suicide at Zafarullah’s house. “We took them to the complainant’s house so that he could identify them,” he said. He said the suspects swallowed poisonous pills lying there used to preserve wheat.

Talking to The Express Tribune, complainant Zafarullah Khan however rejected that Ashiq Hussain and Sarwar had taken poisonous pills at his house.

He said the police had brought the accused to his house a couple of times but this incident has taken place at Mubarak Khan’s tubewell cabin.

He said Khan was a close associate of the post in charge and that the suspects had been kept there.

He said the police had released Ashiq Hussain although he had allegedly admitted his role in the robbery at his house.

He said some 15 people including Ashiq Hussain and his four sons had robbed him of 100 gms gold jewellary, Rs200,000, mobile phones and four licensed guns.

Earlier, Ashiq Hussain had rejected the allegations while talking to The Tribune at the DHQ hospital. He said his nephew, Sarwar, had purchased the mobile phone from a second-hand mobile phones shop.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2011.