LAYYAH, March 8: City police arrested at least 20 students of the Government Poly Technical Institute on Wednesday evening after they clashed with them over alleged torture of a student in custody.

Reports said two students of the institute were scuffling on the College Road when a patrolling party of city police spotted them. The police took both students in custody and detained them in the lock-up of city police station.

On receiving information about the incident, around a dozen boarders of the institute reached the police station and demanded that the SHO should release both the students as they had reached a compromise. The SHO, however, refused to accept the demand.

The boarders allegedly became aggressive and started pelting stones at the police station and smashed the windscreen of a police van.

Resultantly, additional force was called in and protesters were severely baton-charged. Police also rounded up five of the protesting students.

Sources inside the police station said that the situation deteriorated when one of the arrested students, Imran Gadhi, told his fellows that some police officials maltreated him in custody.

The sources confirmed his allegation saying that an Elite Force constable slapped Imran on his face while he was in custody.

The sources further said that after the other students left the police station, Imran was subjected to severe torture and his cries could be heard outside on the road, which infuriated his fellow students who resorted to violence.

Later, the police conducted raids to arrest the students who resorted to violence.

City SHO Deen Muhammad told Dawn that two separate cases were registered against the students. He said Imran Gadhi and Maqsood were booked under sections 324 and 352 of the PPC and a case against 25 others was also registered, of whom 18 were held till filing of the report.

The arrested students include Zeeshan, Jamil, Azam, Rehan Ali, Mashqoor Hussain, Naeem, Aqeel, Murtaza, Sabir Jamil, Sher Afghan, Adnan, Muzammil and Adnan Jamil.

A heavy police contingent was deployed outside the institute gate on Thursday to avoid any untoward incident.