TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 23: Hundreds of people blocked Jhang-Faisalabad Road at Nawan Road on Tuesday night in protest against the Nawan Lahore police for allegedly torturing to death a villager.

Police arrested Akhtar Abbas, of Chak 245-JB Langrana (Jhang), a driver of a truck with the truck owner of Nawan Lahore. Police suspected Akhtar had transported stolen cattle in his vehicle to Quaidabad (Khushab) from Nawan Lahore. Police took him to Khushab for the recovery of cattle.

The relatives of the deceased alleged police tortured him so severely that he died in custody.

Hundreds of people gathered at Nawan Lahore and blocked traffic by burning old tyres on the road.

They also besieged police station and the residence of the transport owner and raised slogans against them. They attempted to set on fire the house of the truck owner.

A Nawan Lahore police official claimed Akhtar had died in a road accident. Protesters had not ended the road blockade till 11pm.