A police official arrested a young man and tortured him for over five days after he asked the official to pay for a watermelon.
According to eyewitnesses, Kotwali police arrested a man after he asked them to pay for taking two watermelons from his stall. Androon Bazaar Lakar Wala Pul resident Rustam told the court of Area Magistrate Naveed Akhtar that his son Muhammad Bilal used to sell watermelons on his stand and was recently arrested by the police.
“They have kept him in lock up for over five days and he has been beaten to a pulp. All he did was ask the police to pay for the fruit they were taking,” Rustam said.
Kotwali police station Assistant Sub Inspector Muhammad Yaqub came to Bilal’s stall last week to buy some watermelons for himself and his collague. When Bilal asked for money, the ASI beat him up in front of a large crowd and later arrested him in a theft case.
“I was buying melons from the same stall and I saw it all happen. All the poor man asked for was payment and he was thrashed brutally,” said Lakar resident Mohammad Shafi.
Police officials have held Bilal in lock up for five days. The magistrate ordered a medical examination of the youth which proved that he was tortured. Kotwali Station House Officer (SHO) Hafiz Imtiaz said the father and son were lying to hide the truth and that Bilal had robbed a store..
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2011.
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