TOBA TEK SINGH, Jan 8: A farmer died allegedly due to police torture here on Tuesday.

Heirs claimed that the Chuttiana police had arrested Mehr Muhammad Yar of Chak 340-GB on Sunday night in connection with a Rs2 million dacoity committed in Chaudhry Khalil’s house some three months back.

A source said the Sahiwal police had arrested a dacoits’ gang the members of which revealed that Sher Muhammad, a relative of deceased Muhammad Yar, was also involved in the dacoity. As the police failed to arrest the accused, they took into custody Muhammad Yar to know whereabouts of Sher Muhammad.

Heirs, however, claimed that the police had also taken away 17 buffalos worth Rs1 million and tortured Muhammad Yar severely in the police station to pressurize him to produce the accused relative. When his condition deteriorated, the police admitted him to the DHQ Hospital from where doctors referred him to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, but he died in the midway.

Sadar DSP Chaudhry Muhammad Sharif claimed that Muhammad Yar died of brain hemorrhage because he was a diabetic and heart patient. He said the deceased was summoned to the police station only to know the whereabouts of the accused.

Former MPA and PML-N leader Sardar Masood Gadhi said that the family of the deceased was demanding registration of a murder case against the SHO.