LAHORE, July 22: An uncle of encounter-fame inspector Abid Boxer died in police custody at Services Hospital early on Tuesday and the family blames police torture for death. Police, however, rejected the allegation, saying the accused died of heart attack.

Zafar Abbas, 65, of S-Block of Defence Housing Authority, and his son Nadeem Abbas were on physical remand in the kidnap-cum-murder case of Naseem Sharif.

Zafar’s widow Batool Bibi alleged that CIA police had picked him up on July 12, 2008, for Naseem Sharif case. She alleged that his husband was tortured to death by the police.

According to police record, Zafar was accused of getting property of Naseem transferred to his name through fraud. He was notorious for grabbing lands and had been involved in various murder cases.

CIA SP Muhammad Umer Virk claimed Zafar had died of heart attack.

He said Zafar was a nominated accused in the kidnap-cum-murder case of Naseem Sharif registered in Qilla Gujjar Singh police station. He was already on bail in the Zulfikar Awan murder case.He said Zafar’s accomplices had stolen valuables worth millions from the house of Naseem Sharif and illegally occupied her property worth millions.

He said CIA police took Zafar and his son into custody on July 19, 2008, and obtained a three-day physical remand from court.He said when Zafar was produced before the sessions court judge on July 19 he fell unconscious on the court premises and was rushed to Services Hospital.

Mr Virk added the accused gain stability after sometime in the hospital but in late hours he fell unconscious and died instantly. He claimed police would get the autopsy of the body done to counter torture allegations.

The body was shifted to morgue for autopsy where a medical board of Mian Munshi Hospital would perform autopsy.