Rickshaw driver suspected of robbery ‘dies of police torture'

Rasheed had taken as passengers men who robbed a cell phone shop

KARACHI:

A rickshaw driver, who spent several days in police custody over suspicion of involvement in a dacoity at a cell phone shop in Defence Phase VIII, died on Sunday, with the family claiming that it was due to the police torture.

They said that Abdul Rasheed was arrested last week, and the police tortured him for four days. The police handed him over on Friday, they said adding that the victim was badly injured.

A resident of Qayyumabad, Rasheed leaves behind a widow and three children. His family said that he had been driving a rickshaw for the last ten years. He hailed from Okara. Rasheed had taken as passengers the men who robbed the cell phone shop in Defence.

The superintendent of police for Investigation said that the rickshaw was seen in the CCTV footage of the incident. He said that he was taken into custody and released after questioning. He claimed that the driver was not tortured while adding that an autopsy would determine the cause of death. Four suspects took the security guard and staff of a cell phone shop in Defence Phase VII hostage at gunpoint on March 12, and looted mobile phones and other valuable items worth more than Rs12.5 million and escaped. The CCTV footage captured them leaving on a rickshaw. A day after the incident, the police traced the rickshaw, detained its driver and released him after questioning.

Rasheed's family said that they went to the Gizri police station to meet him and then to the Darakhshan police station, but the police told them that he wasn't in their custody. The family members said that on Friday night, they received a phone call from the police station to come and take Rasheed home. When they reached the station, they saw Rasheed was badly injured and showed clear signs of physical torture, they said. They took him to JPMC where he underwent a medical examination and tests. The deceased had internal injuries. Doctors prescribed some medicines to Abdul Rasheed and discharged him. Abdul Rasheed died at home on Sunday.

The family members of the deceased have demanded that the officials who tortured Abdul Rasheed be fired and strict legal action be taken against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2023.