Police brutality?: Alleged thief dies in police custody

Police claim accused was ill which is why they took him to hospital where he died.

MINGORA: An alleged thief died in the custody of Rahimabad police in Swat on Saturday. The deceased’s family accused the police station’s SHO of torturing Hazrat Ali to death. Ali’s father said his son had been wanted in several cases of theft. He said he had handed his son over to the police, who had subjected Ali to severe torture which landed him in the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A Rahimabad police official denied torturing Ali and claimed the accused was ill which is why the police took him to the hospital where he died. The district police officer has launched an inquiry into the incident. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a man was electrocuted while working on the roof of a house in Manyar village. According to the police, 20-year-old Azaz was working on the roof of his house when he was electrocuted. He was rushed to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, but died on the way.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2014.