GUJAR KHAN, Sept 9: A robbery suspect reportedly committed ‘suicide’ in the custody of Mandra police early Sunday.

However, the relatives of the deceased, Mir Dad, 30, a resident of Surgdhan located in the vicinity of the native village of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, alleged that their loved one had been tortured to death. They held a protest demonstration on G.T. Road and blocked it for hours on Sunday evening.

Mir Dad, a poultry dealer and father of six, was picked by the Mandra police from Rawalpindi on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a robbery at the house of Malik Rashid Advocate in Kaliam Awan on 26 June. Police claimed that the suspect was traced through the monitoring of the cellphone stolen during the robbery.

DSP Syed Iqbal Kazmi told Dawn that he received information on Sunday morning that the accused had attempted to commit suicide by slitting his throat with a blade. The suspect was taken to the rural health centre at Mandra from where he was referred to Rawalpindi. However, he died while being shifted to the garrison city. Later, ASI Malik Fiaz, who was investigating the case and had taken the suspect to the hospital, left the body at the Holy Family Hospital and disappeared along with two of his subordinates.

City Police Officer Rawalpindi Abdul Hameed Khokhar and SP Saddar Waheed Khattak reached Gujar Khan and ordered registration of an FIR, under section 302 PPC, against the ASI, Moharar Abdul Shakoor, constables Tasawar and Adnan.

According to DSP Kazmi, Abdul Shakoor has been arrested while the whereabouts of the three other policemen remained unknown.

While the body of Mir Dad was being examined by a medical board in Rawalpindi, his relatives and residents of the village gathered around the Mandra police station and blocked the G.T. Road. They chanted slogans against the police for their highhandedness. Later, when the body was brought to the area, the protesters got emotional and demanded the arrest of the SHO and action against the DSP for overlooking the alleged torturing of Mir Dad.  The protesters also rejected the FIR registered on behalf of the police, saying police were trying to save their men.

Mohammad Jabbar, a cousin of the deceased, while talking to Dawn alleged that after picking Mir Dad ASI Malik Fiaz had been demanding Rs100,000 for his release. He also alleged that constable Adnan had received Rs5,000 from him for allowing him to talk to Mir Dad on the phone.

Another relative of Mir Dad said about six or seven persons of the area had also been lifted by the police a few days back but they were released after taking Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 from their relatives.