MIRPURKHAS, Aug 13: A youth was allegedly tortured to death in police custody, although police claimed that he had committed suicide in lockup and registered a suicide case.

However, on intervention of DPO Altaf Bhatti, a murder case was registered against SHO Bilawal Mahar, ASI Noor Ahmed Soomro, head constable Mohammad Sharif Nohri, constables Lakhmir Chand and Adil.

The Shadi Palli police had recently arrested Syed Qutbuddin Shah, 21, son of Atta Mohammad Shah, resident of Ghulam Nabi Shah village, on the charge of being an absconder. Later, his body was brought to the Pithoro rural health centre on Thursday morning where Dr Mohandas handed it over to relatives after autopsy. He told journalists that Qutbuddin had been brought by ASI Soomro to the centre in a serious condition.

Umerkot TPO Raja Fazlur Rehman and SHO Mahar had approached civil judge Mohammad Javed Salman on Friday, requesting him to examine the body lying in the lockup.

The judge, on permission from the district and sessions judge, examined the body and submitted his report in which he mentioned that the body was in a bad condition. The uncle of the deceased, Zahoor Shah, told the court that the accused had been wrongfully confined at the police station.