950804

'One tortured

to death in

police custody'

HYDERABAD: One Javaid Masseh S/o Rehmat Masseeh, 27 was allegedly tortured to death by the police here on Friday morning which led to a protest demonstration by a large number of people belonging to Christian community at Latifabad 'B' Section police station.

According to reports, Javaid Masseh was apprehended by Latifabad 'B' Section police on August 2, 1995 in a theft case along with another person Albert.

Ex-councillor of the area and members of committee, - formed by the protestors to negotiate with the high police officials - Nazeer Masseh, Rofan Wilson and others told Business Recorder that ASI Sardar and another policeman in white clothes Azeem, while arresting Javaid had beaten him very badly in front of many people in the Christian Colony and was later taken to the police station.

They alleged that Javaid was mercilessly tortured in the police custody.

Christians from different parts of the city rushed to the police station and laid siege to the station.

According to protestors, police also resorted to aerial firing to disperse the people.

The committee members alleged that the police during raid on Thursday arrested Sameol, and Aashiq, ransacked four houses and looted goods worth Rs one lakh including a motorcycle, a colour and black and white TV, a VCR and Rs thirty thousand cash.

Later by the order of SDM Latifabad Hassan Barkat Rizvi and ASP Latifabad Khalid Mehmood, Albert, Aashiq and Sameol were released and the looted goods were returned to the people.

Meanwhile, the Christian community has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and immediate registration of FIR against SHO Haider Naqvi, ASI Sardar and ASI Azeem for the murder of Javaid Masseh, criminal trespass into their homes and looting of their goods.

The post-mortem report of Javaid Masseh is still awaited.