VEHARI, Nov 12: The police have registered a case against a sub-inspector and four constables for allegedly torturing a youth to death in Arain Wahin village in Mailsi tehsil, some 50 kilometres away from here, on Tuesday night. The SI has been arrested, however, the remaining accused have fled.

Earlier, hundreds of residents of Arain Wahin reached Mailsi on Wednesday and held a demonstration to protest the killing of 22-year-old Hafiz Muhammad Tahir.

They blocked the Mailsi-Multan Road for around three hours and later marched on different city roads to reach Railway Crossing Chowk where they staged a sit-in after keeping the victim’s body on middle of the road. They shouted slogans and burnt tyres. However, they dispersed after they were informed that a case had been registered against the policemen.

Tahir along with his brother Allah Ditta and Qari Muhammad Abid, Muhammad Aslam and Mehboob Ali were present at the shop of Muhammad Akhtar in Arain Wahin village when a five-member police party led by SI Irshadul Hassan reached there. The police caught Tahir and three others allegedly without any justification and started beating them. Tahir’s condition deteriorated and he died on his way to THQ Hospital.

District Police Officer (DPO) Asher Hameed Chaudhry and SDPO Ghulam Abbas Kathia reached the spot and got a murder case registered against SI Irshad and constables Ghulam Mustafa, Tahir Islam, Nasir Iqbal and Asghar Rasheed on the complaint of victim’s uncle Muhammad Mushtaq. The SI was immediately arrested after the registration of case under Section 302, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The DPO also suspended Sadar SHO Fiaz Shah and transferred Mailsi DSP Gulam Abbas. However, they were still performing their duties till the filing of this report.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Shahid Saleem said the initial autopsy indicated that the victim had been tortured to death. However, the detailed report was expected today (Thursday).