Rawalpindi-A 23-year-old boy was allegedly tortured to death by cops of Ganjmandi police station during detention, sources revealed on Monday.

The death of the boy identified as Rehan in police lock up sparked unrest in Raja Bazaar as relatives of the deceased and area people staged protest demo by surrounding the police station and burning tyres on road. The protestors alleged that due to involvement of former PML-N MNA Haji Pervaiz, the police were not listening to their hue and cry.

The police, however, said that the boy died of cardiac arrest. A committee was formed by police high ups to probe into the matter

According to the sources, a police team led by ASI Ateeq raided a house at Workshapi Mohalla and held Rehan on charges of possessing alcohol. The accused was taken to the police station where the cops subjected him to severe torture that caused his death in the lock up, they said. They added that the news sparked unrest as relatives of the deceased and area people marched towards Ganjmandi where they surrounded the police station and chanted slogans against the police. The protestors blocked roads by burning tyres and the police had to close the doors of the police station after the protestors tried to storm in to harm the cops present inside, the sources said.

Sensing sensitivity of the issue, senior police officers rushed to the site but the protestors refused to talk to them, the sources said. Later, the protestors took the body and placed it in Banni Chowk and demonstrated against police atrocity. The mess of protestors at Banni Chowk triggered a massive traffic jam in the locality posing hardships for commuters and pedestrians. The INP news agency added that the protest ended after 4 police personnel were suspended.

SHO Ganjmani Raja Tahir, when contacted, denied the allegations and said that the police had held Rehan for possessing liquor and had registered a case against him. He said that the boy told other accused in the lock up that he was feeling pain in his chest. On this, the SHO said, the police took him to DHQ Hospital where the doctors conducted his ECG and declared him dead.

“The boy died of cardiac arrest,” he declared, adding that Rehan was notorious drug peddler and was recently released from Adiala Jail in a drug case. SP Rawal Behram Khan and DSP City Farhan Aslam did not attend their phones when this correspondent tried to know their version.

On the other hand, Inspector General of Police Capt (R) Arif Nawaz Khan took notice of the death of the youth in police lock up and sought report from Regional Police Officer Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja.