Contested claims: Man attempts suicide in police custody
His family accuses the police of torture and threatens to go to court.
HARIPUR:
The family of a man who reportedly attempted suicide in police custody has accused the police of torture and threatened to go to court.
Waseem, a resident of Mohallah Khoo, Haripur, told journalists on Saturday that Inspector Ibrar arrested his brother Khurrum Shehzad on November 26 for possessing an unlicensed weapon and shifted him to City police station to interrogate him over an alleged motorcycle theft.
According to Waseem, when he went to the City police station to enquire about Shehzad, the police denied having his brother in custody. Waseem added on November 27 he obtained an order from the district judge seeking his brother’s recovery with the help of the court bailiff.
“I reached City police station and they told me Shehzad was in Kot Najibullah police station for investigation. When I went there with the bailiff, the police said my brother had some stomach problem and was at the hospital,” said Waseem.
He accused the officials of both police stations of torturing his brother and subjecting him to cruel and inhumane treatment due to which he fell sick. “To get rid of him, they (police) made him consume some poisonous substance,” said Waseem.
He questioned why the police did not find the poison on Shehzad when they searched him at the time of arrest and claimed to have found a pistol.
“This case has been fabricated and the police used traditional methods of torture which is against international human rights treaties and conventions,” Waseem added.
The other side
The police, on the other hand, claim Shehzad was arrested on November 27 for possessing an unlicensed pistol and a case was registered against him. According to the police, Shehzad was arrested at 7:45am and taken to Kot Najibullah police station, however, after an hour he complained of nausea and vomiting.
Officials said they took Shehzad to the local Rural Health Centre where doctors referred him to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad saying he had ingested rat poison and needed urgent medical attention.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2014.
The family of a man who reportedly attempted suicide in police custody has accused the police of torture and threatened to go to court.
Waseem, a resident of Mohallah Khoo, Haripur, told journalists on Saturday that Inspector Ibrar arrested his brother Khurrum Shehzad on November 26 for possessing an unlicensed weapon and shifted him to City police station to interrogate him over an alleged motorcycle theft.
According to Waseem, when he went to the City police station to enquire about Shehzad, the police denied having his brother in custody. Waseem added on November 27 he obtained an order from the district judge seeking his brother’s recovery with the help of the court bailiff.
“I reached City police station and they told me Shehzad was in Kot Najibullah police station for investigation. When I went there with the bailiff, the police said my brother had some stomach problem and was at the hospital,” said Waseem.
He accused the officials of both police stations of torturing his brother and subjecting him to cruel and inhumane treatment due to which he fell sick. “To get rid of him, they (police) made him consume some poisonous substance,” said Waseem.
He questioned why the police did not find the poison on Shehzad when they searched him at the time of arrest and claimed to have found a pistol.
“This case has been fabricated and the police used traditional methods of torture which is against international human rights treaties and conventions,” Waseem added.
The other side
The police, on the other hand, claim Shehzad was arrested on November 27 for possessing an unlicensed pistol and a case was registered against him. According to the police, Shehzad was arrested at 7:45am and taken to Kot Najibullah police station, however, after an hour he complained of nausea and vomiting.
Officials said they took Shehzad to the local Rural Health Centre where doctors referred him to Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad saying he had ingested rat poison and needed urgent medical attention.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2014.