KARACHI: A rickshaw driver, who was detained in connection with a robbery at a mobile phone shop in DHA and later on released after investigation, died under controversial circumstances on Sunday, said relatives and police.

The relatives told journalists that when Abdul Rasheed, 35, was released from police custody he was not unable to walk as he had allegedly been subjected to torture.

He was picked up in connection with an armed robbery in which the criminals used his rickshaw without letting him know their real objective.

South-SSP Syed Asad Raza said with help of CCTV footage, investigators traced and picked up the rickshaw driver, a resident of Qayyumabad, around five days ago. However, after three days of grilling he was found innocent and released on Friday night. However, he died on Sunday.

The SSP said that the police had his post-mortem examination done at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors reserved the cause of death. He added that they were waiting for doctors’ final report to ascertain claims of the relatives about the alleged torture.

Meanwhile, the SSP-Investigation said in a statement that they had taken notice of the death of the rickshaw driver due to the alleged torture in police custody. “The news of death of rickshaw driver on Sunday has been received through Madadgar-15.”

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2023