UTP tortured to death, alleges family

The family of a suspect who died on Thursday staged a protest and claimed that he was tortured to death.

Rana Zahid, who was an under-trail prisoner at the Central Jail, had died during treatment at the Civil Hospital on Thursday, and police officials had claimed that Zahid was ill and he was admitted to the hospital where he breathed his last.

After receiving information about his death, the family members, relatives, neighbours and friends reached the hospital. The body was handed over to the family for burial.

The family on Friday staged a protest in the SITE Superhighway area and demanded justice from the higher authorities. They claimed that Zahid was arrested after he offered resistance while his double-storey house was being demolished during a recent anti-encroachment drive in the area.

They said police were also forcing them not to have a postmortem conducted in spite of the fact that several torture marks were found on the body of the deceased.

The police had put the anti-terrorism clause in the FIR though he had only offered resistance during the anti-encroachment drive, the family said, adding t hat they were trying to get his bail from a court but the police tortured and killed him. They said that they met Zahid a day before he died and he was absolutely fine.

On the other hand, the police said they were waiting for the final chemical examination report to ascertain the actual cause of his death.