LAHORE, Jan 24: Factory Area police on Wednesday tortured to death an innocent labourer in custody.

Abid Ali, 25, a father of two and a resident of Nankana Sahib, had come to Lahore for work some time ago. He was taken into custody by Factory Area police SI Riaz and ASI Javed Butt eight days back on suspicion. He was subjected to severe torture. When his condition deteriorated, ASI Javed Butt phoned Abid’s father Sadiq Ali and asked him to arrange money for his son’s release.

On behalf of Abid’s family, a local of the Nankana Sahib, Syed Mumtaz Husain, negotiated a deal with the policemen.

ASI Javed Butt along with some constables went to Nankana and took Rs5,000 from Abid’s father. He told the family that Abid would be freed on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, Mumtaz Husain, Abid’s father Sadiq Ali and others came to the police station and they were informed that Abid had died in custody.

The police have registered a case against SI Riaz, ASI Javed Butt and two constables on the complaint of Abid’s father.

However, in a handout issued on Wednesday night, the police claimed deceased Abid Ali was a history-sheeter and nominated in a theft case.

It claimed that complainant Sadiq Ali, in the FIR, had accused ASI Javed Butt and his subordinates of torturing his son to death.

It did not say that SI Riaz was also nominated in the FIR, and he was taken into custody.

The handout further claimed that the police had arrested ASI Javed Butt while two constables managed their escape.

DIG (operations) Aftab Cheema also made an announcement that the culprits would be taken to task.

He claimed that the police had registered the FIR according to the statement of the deceased’s father. He said the Cantonment SP investigation would head the probe into the murder to provide justice to the family.

Strangled: An elderly man was strangled allegedly by two neighbours in Islampura on Wednesday when the former snubbed them for consuming hashish in a church.