February 02, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 23, 1429

KHANEWAL, Feb 1: Police registered a case against six police officials and two others on Friday for torturing a man to death at Nawan Shehr police station on Jan 24.

Police took the action against their colleagues after a three-day delay since the Kabirwala additional district and sessions judge’s had ordered cases against the six policemen and two others on Jan 29 on a plea by Allah Ditta. The petitioner stated that police picked up his brother, Allah Bukhsh, on Jan 23 and tortured him to death in custody.

“Police have registered a case under sections 302, 148 and 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code as per court’s orders against six officials of Nawan Shehr police station,” said Kabirwala Deputy Superintendent of Police Malik Muhammad Yousuf. Those nominated in the case are: ASI Muhammad Aslam Sial, constables Muhammad Ashraf Hiraj, Muhammad Iqbal Hiraj, Muhammad Riaz Tullah, Qaswar Shah and Shaukat Ali besides two other accused Allah Ditta and Muhammad Akram.

Yousaf said the accused would be arrested if torture was proved in the chemical examination of deceased’s body.

About delaying the case registration, Yousuf said the district police officer wanted to get the case registered at the earliest but some “troublemakers” mishandled the case.

Petitioner’s counsel Javed Hashmi said that the district police should immediately arrest the accused. “Had such a case been registered against any commoner, police would have arrested him immediately,” he said. He alleged police were trying to save the accused. He added that according to post-mortem report by the DHQ hospital, there were injury marks on the body, which proved torture under police custody.