July 22, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1424

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DADU, July 21: A villager, Toohal Khan, 20, son of Meeral Khan, resident of the Jarwar village, Khairpur Nathan Shah Taluka, died in police custody due to being tortured on Sunday.

His family members, his villagers and the workers of different political parties held a protest demonstration against the Khairpur Nathan Shah police for four hours on the Indus Highway by placing his body there thus causing a traffic jam on Monday.

The demonstrators also burnt tyres on the highway. They were led by Toohal’s brother, Gul Mohammad, and PPP leader, Qambar Ali Khan Leghari.

Speaking to the demonstrators, Mr Gul said that the SHO, Khairpur Nathan Shah, along with a heavy contingent of police and three private persons had raided their house some three days back, and arrested his brother, Toohal, without a reason.

He said that the SHO had demanded Rs50,000 as bribe for releasing his brother. On his family’s refusal, he had tortured his brother at the police station.

He said that when Toohal fell unconscious, the SHO had him shifted to the Taluka Hospital, Khairpur Nathan Shah, where his condition was stated to be serious.

He said that the SHO had a fake case registered against his brother under section 382, 511, 457 PPC regarding theft of a motor pump from the Government Girls Primary School, Gozo.

He said that his brother was referred to the CMC Hospital, Larkana, but he died on the way to the hospital on Sunday evening.

He demanded that a murder case be registered against the SHO, Sub-Inspector Abdullah Khan Buriro and other policemen and private persons.

A member of the PPP, Qambar Ali Khan Leghari, said that Toohal Khan had died in police custody due to being tortured.

Later, the DPO, operation, Ali Akbar Bhangwar, and the DPO, investigation, Tipu Sultan, arrived there and assured the protesters that a murder case would be registered against the SHO and other policemen concerned.

FIR REGISTERED: On the directives of the DPO, the Khairpur Nathan Shah police registered an FIR under section 302-QDO, 147, 148, 149, 342 PPC against the SHO, the sub-inspector, ASI Umeed Ali Shaikh, Constable Ghulam Mustafa Mirani and three private persons — Farooque Buriro, Iqbal and Faqeer Mohammad Buriro.

SUSPENDED: Meanwhile, the DPO has suspended the SHO, the sub-inspector, the ASI, and the constable.