GUJRAT: The autopsy report of a detainee, who was hacked to death by an ASI at the Civil Lines police station on Thursday, reveals severe physical torture before murder.

The report says marks of torture and cigarette burn wounds have been found on the body during the autopsy at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed hospital.

Sources in the police told Dawn that besides the ASI, some other police officials tortured Syed Tufail Haider in the lock-up soon after bringing him to the police station as the man continued to hurl abuses at the officials.

The area magistrate, Masood Asghar, on Friday handed over accused Syed Faraz Naveed to the local police on a three-day physical remand. On being asked by the magistrate if he wanted to record any statement before the court, the accused said he would hand over his written statement to the investigation officer of the police. He will be presented in court on Nov 11.

The police claimed that they had arrested Tufail, who hailed from a village in Ahmadpur Sial tehsil, when he was found scuffling with some people near a plaza on Rehman Shaheed Road. He had visited Madina Syedan village of Gujrat to attend a ‘majlis’ organised by his relative but did not return home.

The killer accused the victim of uttering derogatory remarks about the companions of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) but some other policemen said he hurled abuses at them (policemen).

The victim’s brother, Syed Kausar Ali, in his statement that was made part of the FIR, cited “unknown reasons behind the murder.” A case had been registered against the ASI under sections 302 and 155-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Van stands sealed: The district administration on Friday sealed at least 12 van stands besides impounding around 24 passenger vans for charging higher fares than those officially notified by the Road Transport Authority (RTA).

District Officer Coordination Shuja Qutab Bhatti, who is also holing the additional charge of RTA secretary, and Traffic Deputy Superintendent of Police Mian Sohail Fazil jointly checked randomly fares at different public transport stands in the city and ordered to seal around 12 of them found overcharging from passengers.

Bhatti in a notification as per government directions had ordered a reduction of 10pc in transport fares on all routes following a reduction in petroleum prices earlier this month. However, there were complaints that transporters had not complied with the notification.

The team sealed van stands located adjacent to the general bus stand along GT Road whereas around 24 vans were impounded at different police stations and 25 public transport vehicle owners fined for overcharging.

They also got the overcharged fares returned to passengers.

Published in Dawn, November 8th , 2014