6 Lahore police officials booked after another man dies from alleged torture
Waseem RiazUpdated September 03, 2019
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Amir, who worked as a gardener in Lahore's P.F Colony, was allegedly tortured by the police and passed away on Monday night. — Photo courtesy: author
Six police officers, including a sub-inspector, were nominated in a criminal case for allegedly torturing a man, identified as Amir, to death in Lahore, it emerged on Tuesday.
According to a first information report (FIR) lodged on the complaint of the victim's brother, Amir — who worked as a gardener in Lahore's P.F Colony — was summoned at North Cantt police station by Sub-Inspector Zeeshan on August 28. He was then taken to an unknown location, where he was subjected to torture.
Also read: ‘Torture cell’ run by SHO, constables unearthed in Lahore
According to the victim's brother, Amir had been called by Zeeshan in connivance with a civilian, Rana Mohammad Hanif, who has also been nominated in the FIR.
Meanwhile, Amir's family approached the police station after they were told that Zeeshan had called the deceased, but could not meet the sub-inspector. On September 2, Zeeshan and two unidentified officers handed over Amir, who was suffering from serious injuries, to his family. He was taken to the Services Hospital, where he passed away, the FIR stated.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Arif Nawaz Khan took notice of the incident and ordered that a case be registered against SI Zeeshan, Investigation Officer Nasir Baig and four other officers and asked for a detailed report to be submitted within a day.
Police have arrested Baig and North Cantt police station's Station House Officer Khurram Gul, while Zeeshan is at large.
This is the
third such case that has come to light in the past week. On Sunday, a man who was said to be mentally disabled, had died in police custody in Rahim Yar Khan. On the same day, a middle-aged man had passed away in Lahore after allegedly being tortured by Gujjarpura police in an illegal torture cell that was unearthed last month.
IGP Punjab had expressed his displeasure and released a handout on Monday with clear instructions to all the field officers that “no officer will be spared if such crime was reported in any part of the province”.
a potential solution is to create a new police force that will slowly take over responsibilities. Start with the big cities, expand them out to the countryside. Phase out the old murderers. Their corruption is so deep there is no fixing it now.
