CHAGAI: Six police officials, including a station house officer and an investigation officer of the Kharan police station, were arrested after they were suspended and booked for their alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killing of an inmate.

Action against the police officials was taken after members of civil society and several political parties staged a protest sit-in outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Kharan, demanding probe into the mysterious death of the inmate, Ahsanullah, in police lockup on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner Abdul Salam Achakzai, along with the district police officer, negotiated with the protesters and assured them of fair inquiry into the case.

Mr Achakzai told Dawn that a team, headed by Kharan’s DSP, had been formed to investigate the matter and it had been asked to submit its report.

He said that on the demand of the protesters a judicial inquiry was also being initiated by the judicial magistrate to ascertain actual causes of Ahsanullah’s death.

When asked about the post-mortem report, Mr Achakzai said it had indicated torture and suffocation as the cause of death. He said the police officials concerned would also be held responsible if it was merely a suicide case.

The members of civil society and political parties called off the sit-in protest after the deputy commissioner’s assurances.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2020