LAHORE: Family of the young man, who was allegedly tortured to death by Sabzazar police, claimed that the deceased was arrested by a police constable on theft charges.

Rafaqat Ali told Dawn that Sabzazar constable Yousuf took his younger brother Sadiq on a motorbike some three days ago. He said later his brother did not come home and the family searched him but to no avail.

Rafaqat said a resident told him that a constable and a gravedigger were burying someone in a local graveyard.

He said when he visited there he found a hand of the buried man outside the ‘grave’ and recognised him with the rings.

“I immediately called Rescue 15 which shifted the body to the city morgue,” Rafaqat said adding that later the police lodged an FIR against unidentified men for murdering Sadiq without seeking an application from the family.

Rafaqat said the policeman tried to bury his brother in clothes and he himself spotted some bruises on the body with blood stains.

DSP and SHO of the area were reluctant to talk on the issue while the Muharrar denied allegations saying that Sadiq was a drug addict and ASI Zafar Iqbal had found him dead in H-Block.

He claimed that the ASI committed a blunder and tried to bury the deceased without bringing the matter into the knowledge of the relevant police officials.

Quoting initial inquiry so far Saddar Division SP Malik Awais said allegations of torturing and killing the man by the police were found false.

“The inquiry report is yet to be completed and it will be presented to the chief minister for further action,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2014