HYDERABAD, Aug 19: Relatives of a man, who was electrocuted on Wednesday night while in police custody, on Thursday blocked the National Highway by placing the body on it to protest against police.

They demanded action against policemen concerned. Kotri TPO Anwar Durrani and other area people, including representatives of political parties, persuaded them to end the blockade, giving them an assurance that action would be taken against the policemen.

Later, the body was taken to his native village in the Dadu district. Reports said the Site police, Kotri, wanted to interrogate Nisar Mallah, an employee of a factory in Karachi, after his name was disclosed by two other suspects, both Mangis by caste, in a theft case.

ASI Mazhar Pitafi had picked up the man and kept him at the New Baran police check-post. The detainee climbed over an electricity pole and refused to come down, saying he would be challaned in a criminal case. On duty policemen assured him that it would not be done. In the meantime the detainee touched a wire and was electrocuted.

His post mortem was conducted at the Kotri Taluka Hospital. Meanwhile, the additional DPO, Dadu, Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh, suspended ASIs Mazhar Pitafi and Bukshal Khokhar and police constables Mukhtar Ali and Ali Asghar for negligence.

The complainant held one Bashiran Mangi and her son, Gada Hussain, responsible for the death of his son-in-law, Nisar Mallah. He said the body was found in Site area near Bolhari. He claimed that he had telephoned Nisar in Karachi who had told him that Bashiran and her son had come to meet him in connection with theft in his brother's house.

LOOTED: Three armed bandits looted cash and cellular phones from a mobile phone shop in the jurisdiction of the Bhitai Naggar police station here on Thursday.