LAHORE, May 5: Tahir Naveed alias Sunny, who died from Lower Mall police torture a few days ago, had 20 injuries on his body and his death occurred due to acute renal failure, according to the detailed post-mortem examination report.

A police investigator privy to the investigation and outcome of the autopsy report told Dawn that Naveed’s body had bruises and abrasion caused by blunt weapons. He said Naveed’s mouth was also stuffed with green chilies.

He said Naveed, son of a serving police constable, was kept in a torture cell in an abandoned shoe factory in Badami Bagh, where third degree torture methods were applied to him and two other suspects. Investigators found some ropes and other material in the torture cell.

Sources privy to an inquiry conducted by DIG Muhammad Amlish told Dawn that the inquiry report, which was submitted to the Punjab police inspector general on Wednesday, recommended stern legal action against former Lower Mall SHO Naveed Azam, additional SHO Nasir Shah, ASI Akbar Khan and five police constables, and immediate suspension of Lower Mall DSP Khalid Mehmood Khan.

The SHO and his team have been charged with the murder of an innocent man and the DSP has been charged with laxity. Azam, Shah and two to three constables are still at large, while three constables are in police custody.

The inquiry officer has not found any evidence about the involvement of former Misri Shah SHO Maqsood Ahmad and SI Aleem Khan in the case. Ahmad and Khan appeared before the inquiry officer after securing pre-arrest bails and their statements were recorded in front of the complainant and victim’s family.Ahmad was earlier nominated in the FIR on the basis of the charges levelled by the victim’s father, constable Naveed Iqbal. Iqbal, who is Ahmad’s neighbour, said the inspector got registered fake FIRs against his son because he would sit with Ahmad’s business rival Usman Butt.

According to the FIR, Ahmad in connivance with Azam also implicated Naveed in the murder case of two police constables.

The inquiry officer recommended that a letter of displeasure be issued to the City SP (operations) because he knew that Naveed had been given into SHO’s custody for interrogation.

The arrested constables told the inquiry officer that SHO Azam used every method of torture to make Naveed confess to the murder of two constables, during their supervision.

The inquiry report also recommended action against the owner of the shoe factory because he ‘assisted’ the Lower Mall police during the detention of three men.

The inquiry report, which has criticised the interrogation of Naveed by the SHO and his subordinates instead of the man in-charge of investigation and his subordinates, suggested the police authorities to ensure the investigation of a case by the investigation wing, keeping in view the separation of watch and ward from the investigation under the Police Order 2002.

CCPO Aslam Tareen told Dawn that three constables were already in the police custody and police were conducting raids to arrest the remaining accused.

—MUHAMMAD FAISAL ALI