FAISALABAD: The Balochni police allegedly gave electric shocks to two suspects, inflicted cigarette burns and made them drink petrol to obtain robbery related information from them.

Police allegedly also received hundreds of thousands of rupees from their families to ensure that they would not be killed in a staged encounter.

During the last two months about 10 people were killed and several others injured in encounters across the district.

Sordid episode of torture victims Yaseen and Yasir started when police took them into custody on charges of robbery. Their family said both were in police custody for about three months and police tortured them with burning cigarettes and also used electric shocks to extract the robbery information which they never committed.

Police showed in the record that both were taken into custody in connection with a robbery case registered on March 13 last. The torture case surfaced when the Balochni police took them to a local court for their physical remand. The judge ordered the medical examination of the torture victims when they showed their torture-ridden bodies to the court.

A relative of one of the suspects told reporters that police had taken them into custody about three months ago and received heavy amount as a bribe from time to time assuring them that they would not be killed in the staged encounter. She said being poor they could not grease the palms of the policemen.

“We have recordings of the policemen as evidence in which they have been demanding the bribe,” she said. She said another person had been taken into custody on same charges. However, police did not touch him as his family fulfilled the policemen’s demands.

Another family member said there was no law for the protection of the poor and police were misusing their authority. He said the family had been running from pillar to post to get justice.

Meanwhile, police officials justify the policy of conducting encounters that prove a deterrent.A police officer said a case against Balochni SHO Alamdar Hussain and investigation officer Ishfaq Hussain had been registered and both of them had been arrested and placed under suspension.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2020