LAHORE, July 22: The Punjab government has set up a four-member medical board to determine the cause of death of an accused in police custody.

The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Punjab Law Minister Rana Ejaz Ahmad at the Civil Secretariat. The meeting was attended by senior police officers, the investigation officer of the case and family members of the victim.

The family members informed the meeting the police raided the house of Amanat, 45, in Kahna on July 16 and took him along with them as a hurt case had been registered against him. On July 19, the police visited the family and said Amanat had died at the General Hospital.

They alleged that the police tortured him to death. “A police report prepared after the death has mentioned injuries and bandages on the body that is a prove to the torture,” Shaukat, a brother of the victim, said.

The minister assured the family of justice, and said strict action would be taken against the policemen if found guilty of by the medical board. He directed the medical board to complete its findings and submit them to him at the earliest.

He directed the investigation officer, the Kot Lakhpat DSP, to complete the probe and submit its findings to him. The DSP was also ordered to check narcotics sale in his jurisdiction.

Earlier, the minister along with Punjab Human Rights Commission member Advocate Nafeer A. Malik visited Kahna village and its police station to probe into the incident.

The Kahna SHO told the minister that the accused had tried to escape when the police raided his house to arrest him. He, however, fell down at some distance due to hot weather, he claimed. The police took the accused first to a private hospital in the locality, but later he was shifted to the General Hospital where he died.

The SHO had no answer when the minister asked him to explain the torture marks on the body of the dead man. The SHO said he could not explain it as he had gone to Sargodha to attend a funeral on the day when the incident took place.

Meanwhile, Soe Aasil police kiosk in charge SI Ghulam Nabi and four policemen had been arrested and investigation against them is under way.