DADU, Aug 23: Two villagers have accused the official in-charge and other policemen of the Kotri SITE post of having tortured their brother to death after arresting him in a fake case.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, Nazeer Ahmed and Mohammad Sadiq Mallah, residents of Jakhpari village, Dadu taluka, alleged that their brother, Nisar, had been tortured to death by ASI Bakhshal Khokhar and constables Asghar and Manthar, following his arrest in a fake theft case some five days back.

The Kotri police had refused to register a murder case against the accused policemen, the villagers said and added that nobody seemed to heed to them despite repeated protests against the custodial death of their brother.

They appealed to the authorities to intervene in the matter and provide them justice. On Friday the death of Nisar due to alleged police torture at the Kotri Site police post two days back led to a protest by area people.

Residents, including women, of the Jakhpari village, Dadu taluka, blocked the Indus Highway for two hours and held demonstrations outside houses of the DPO and the DCO. They were led by the deceased's mother, Zainab, and two brothers, Nazeer Ahmad and Mohammad Hussain Mallah.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ahmad said robbers had stolen costly items from the house of his brother, Nisar, in Kotri Site area six days back but police arrested two innocent villagers.

He said his brother went to the police post and told police that the persons arrested were not the culprits. He said police officials and his brother exchanged hot words after which his brother was detained and tortured at the police post for four days.

Mr Mallah accused ASIs Mazhar Pitafi and Bakhshal Khokhar of killing his brother. He said police later took the body to the Kotri Taluka Hospital, claiming that he had died of electrocution.

He said a doctor of the hospital had told them that Nisar had died of police torture.

He alleged that when he went to the hospital to receive the body, Kotri SP Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh and the DSP offered him Rs50,000 for withdrawing his complaint against police. On his refusal, he added, the officials threatened him with action as he was a police constable.

Ms Zainab regretted that the Kotri police had registered the murder case of her son against a woman and a man and not against the police officers. She appealed to the president to take notice of the matter and provide her with justice.

SHOT DEAD: A man was shot dead in his house in the Imam Bux Jamali village, Mehar taluka. The armed men had barged into the house of the man, Shafiq Ahmad Chandio, 22, for robbery but opened fire on him when he offered resistance.