Youth held in kidnapping case dies in police custody in Jhang: report

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JHANG: A young man, who kidnapped his aunt and was later arrested, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Kotwali Thana, media reports have said.

According to the police, the youth, Ghulam Yaseen, hung himself in the police station’s washroom due to fear of a confrontation with his family.

However, family members of the deceased claim that he died due to police abuse. The family held a protest at Kotwali Thana and district headquarters hospital.

Police said Yaseen, a resident of Canal Road neighbourhood Hassan Nagar, kidnapped his aunt a month back ago after which a case was registered. The suspect had been arrested a few days ago and his aunt had been recovered.

While the police claim that Yaseen committed suicide by hanging himself in the police station’s washroom using his jeans and belt, the family alleges that the police killed the victim after subjecting him to severe torture.

After the necessary procedures, Yaseen’s body was sent to the district headquarters hospital where the family staged a protest in front of the emergency ward, while also trying to block Gojra Road. Police intervened and a scuffle broke out between officials and family members.

DSP City Circle Rana Khalid Rasheed and DSP Saddar Circle Saifullah Bhatti reached the spot and pacified the family, assuring them that further investigation would be conducted after an autopsy report. The body was handed over to the heirs after a postmortem. Police said district and sessions judge Jhang ordered a judicial inquiry of the incident while the IG Punjab has also ordered a report of the incident in 24 hours.