Under trial prisoner dies in police custody

The family of an under trial prisoner who died on the way to a hospital after a court appearance on Saturday has claimed that he died of police torture.

The deceased, 22-year-old Raheel, was brought to Liaquatabad police station by a man who claimed he had caught Raheel red-handed as he was carrying out a robbery at his house in the wee hours of Friday, District Central SSP Irfan Baloch said.

Liaquatabad police registered an FIR and presented Raheel before a judicial magistrate, who sent him on a two-day remand. However, Raheel fell unconscious inside the courtroom. He was taken to Civil Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival, Baloch said.

When contacted, Liaquatabad SHO Rao Shabbir said that Raheel was a drug addict and he had started vomiting when he was brought to the police station. He added that the prisoner was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and he was only taken to the court after he told officials he was feeling better.

The SHO said Raheel had a criminal record and had been nominated in FIRs registered at two police stations for robberies and selling drugs. However, Raheel’s family protested outside the Liaquatabad police station, claiming that he died of torture. They demanded an impartial inquiry.

SSP Baloch refuted the family’s complaint and insisted that Raheel died due to unavailability of drugs.