SAHIWAL: Police registered a case on Sunday against the Harappa station house officer (SHO), assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and three constables for killing a youth.

The murder case was registered against SHO Zeeshan Akram, ASI Shakeel Ahmed, the SI and a reader for detaining Babar Ali on June 10 and later torturing him to death late on Saturday.

DSP Mahar Yousaf said the youth died after consuming poisonous material in the lockup. He alleged Babar was wanted by the police in seven cases of dacoity, theft, illegal arms and robbery.

DPO Sadiq Baloch told Dawn the forensic analysis would determine if it was a suicide or a murder case.

Deceased Babar, 21, of Noor Kay Kathiya, was picked up by the police in a criminal case along with Abid Ali and Kashif.

The other two suspects alerted the reader that Babar had taken some intoxicated material and his condition was not well.

Police took him to the Rural Health Centre, Harrapa, from where he was referred to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital where he died.

The family of the deceased blocked Noor Shah-Faisalabad Road against the police and alleged Babar died from police torture.

On the other side, the police registered two FIRs against deceased Babar’s relatives on the complaint of Chowki Kot Khadim Ali ASI Ghulam Abbas and Farid Town SI Amir Farooq.

Both FIRs were registered with the Farid Town police.

The first FIR says Dhular and Zakir, father and uncle of Babar, along with 30 people protested near Sahiwal Teaching Hospital while the second FIR says the same guys along with Gulam Qadir, Umer Daraz, and 40 unidentified people protested near village 96/6-R by keeping the body roadside on June 12.

The DPO denied that these FIRs were registered to pressurise the family after Dhular got registered the murder case against the police officials.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2022