Law and order: Policemen arrested over custodial death

Family of the deceased staged a protest, demanding autopsy

FAISALABAD: Pir Mehal police on Friday claimed to have arrested 10 people, including six policemen, over the death of a murder suspect in police custody.

A spokesman told The Express Tribune that Pir Mehal police had arrested Nadeem and his brother Waseem for their role in a murder.

He said during interrogation, Nadeem fainted and was taken to Toba Tek Singh DHQ Hospital and later to Faisalabad Allied Hospital. He said Nadeem died there.

He said police then called his family and asked them to take the body.

He said the relatives demanded that a post mortem examination be conducted to ascertain facts behind his death.

On Friday, scores of relatives of the deceased staged a sit-in at Ghausia Chowk and blocked the road for traffic.

Talking to newsmen, Abdul Lateef, one of the protesters, said Pir Mehal police had tortured Nadeem to death.

He said policemen responsible for the death should be held accountable.

The protesters chanted slogans against police and demanded justice for Nadeem.

Traffic at Multan-Faisalabad Road was suspended for several hours. Kamalia DSP Rana Khalid Rasheed met the protesters and assured them that action would be taken against those responsible. Pir Mehal police registered an FIR on the complaint of Sarwari Mai, mother of deceased, against 11 suspects, including the Pir Mehal police post in-charge, ASIs Muhammad Saleem and Muhammad Asghar, Constable Muhammad Imran, Constable Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Nawaz, a resident of Chak 665/6-GB, Muhammad Waqas, Muhammad Iqbal, Bashir and two unidentified men Sections 302, 148 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and gave a copy of the FIR to the protesters before they dispersed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2015.