KASUR: Nine police officials, including a station house officer, were suspended from service on Thursday in Phoolnagar for allegedly torturing a trader and his three family members, including an elderly woman, at the police station.

According to complainant Muhammad Kabeer, the Phoolnagar police on Oct 2 arrested an alleged gambler and, instead of taking him to the police station, brought him to his furniture shop and started a bargain with him.

When the shop owner asked the cops and the suspect in custody to go, the police officials started abusing him, which was paid back in the same coin.

The police left the shop, but only to return after some time. They picked Kabeer and his three family members and took them to the Phoolnagar police station.

They allegedly stripped the male detainees and tortured them.

The police took Muhammad Qadeer to the local health facility when his condition deteriorated.

The trader approached the local police for justice, but without any result. Later, he wrote to the inspector general, who ordered a probe into the allegations.

District Police Officer Sohaib Ashraf ordered suspension of nine police officials, but a criminal case has yet to be registered against them.

According to the police, legal action will be taken after a thorough investigation.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2022