Police brutality: Man dies after ‘torture’

Heirs of victim, residents protest by placing body outside Gojra police station

OKARA:

A young man undergoing treatment at a hospital has succumbed to his injuries due to alleged torture by a Gojra police team.

Relatives of the deceased and residents of the area protested against the incident by placing the body in front of Gojra police station. Okara District Police Officer (DPO) Omar Saeed Malik formed a three-member committee headed by SP Shamsul Haq Durrani.

Local residents told The Express Tribune that Gojra police had called Tasawur, a resident of Dadwana village, at the police station during investigation of a robbery case. During interrogation, the police team allegedly tortured Tasawur. He sustained serious injuries and his condition deteriorated due to the alleged police violence.

The victim was later taken to a hospital by his family.

However, after living through a life-and-death condition for around 10 days, Tasawur’s condition became critical. He was being shifted to Lahore but he succumbed to his injuries on the way.

After Tasawur’s demise, his heirs along with hundreds of local residents surrounded Gojra police station and blocked the road.

The protesters placed the body on the street, alleging that no case had been registered against Tasawur.

However, the Gojra police team had forcibly abducted and brought him to the police station where he was kept in a torture cell and brutally tortured, they alleged. Later, Tasawur was handed over to his family after his condition deteriorated, but he could not recover for more than a week and eventually died.

The DPO along with the SP and DSPs reached the spot and assured the protesters that a committee comprising three senior police officers had been formed under the supervision of the SP. The victim’s family would be provided justice at any cost, the DPO stated.

Nevertheless, the protesters demanded immediate suspension of the Gojra police station SHO and continued the protest till a case was registered against officials, including the SHO. After listening to the protesters, the DPO suspended the SHO and registered a case against five officials, including him. The protesters ended their protest after the announcement.

Police shifted the body of Tasawur to a hospital for postmortem that was conducted under police supervision. The DPO further said that a full inquiry would be held into the matter and action would be taken against whoever was responsible in accordance with the law.

Initial investigation revealed that a citizen had filed an application to nominate Tasawur in a robbery case, after which Gojra police arrested Tasawur.

However, whether the death of Tasawur was a result of police brutality or medical complications, was yet to be ascertained.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2020.