Undertrial prisoner dies in Karachi police custody; family blames cops

KARACHI: An undertrial prisoner arrested during a police encounter on Tuesday died at a police station in Karachi today as family blamed the cops for killing him extra-judicially, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, a suspect was arrested in an injured condition by Hyderi police four days back and on Tuesday after being presented before the court he died under mysterious circumstances.

At the time of his death, he was being interrogated by Orangi Town police.

Soon after the news of the death reached the family, they gathered outside the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and blocked adjoining roads to protest against what they termed extra-judicial killing at the hands of policemen.

The family however agreed to end their protest after being persuaded by the police officials who assured of a probe into the matter and strict action against those found of negligence in the death of the undertrial prisoner.

A post-mortem of the victim was also carried out at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to ascertain the facts regarding his death.

In a somewhat similar incident, two undertrial alleged muggers were killed in an encounter after police claimed that their associates attacked them in Vehari district.

According to details shared by the police, the associates of the alleged muggers attacked a police van in Burewala city of the Vehari district to free them and both the suspects died in an exchange of fire. “The bullets from the attackers hit the prisoners,” they said.

The police have shifted their bodies to a hospital for medico-legal formalities. The muggers were blamed for killing a farmer’s leader during a mugging bid the previous day.