By Our Correspondent
LAHORE — Ghulam Murtaza, the father and husband of the woman who died after falling into an open manhole near Bhatti Gate, has accused police of torturing him and his cousin, Tanveer, to force them to change their account of the incident.
Read also: When ‘fake news’ becomes a shield: Lessons from the Lahore manhole tragedy
According to Murtaza, police took him and Tanveer into custody after they made a rescue call following the incident in which his wife and young daughter reportedly fell into the manhole. He claimed officers pressured him to state that the victims did not fall into a manhole and that the incident occurred elsewhere. Murtaza alleged he and his cousin were subjected to physical abuse while in custody and were threatened with further action if they did not alter their statements.
“The police also got my signature on plain paper. All these claims are mine, and I stand by what I have said,” Murtaza told reporters, adding that he wants an independent inquiry into the police response and their conduct during the rescue operation.
In response, Lahore police rejected the allegations of torture and coercion. A police spokesperson said the department acted according to standard procedure and denied any attempt to force the family to change their version of events.
However, following the controversy, DIG Operations ordered an independent, high-level inquiry into the matter. According to the police spokesperson, SHO Bhatti Gate Zain Abbas has been suspended, and a show-cause notice has been issued to the concerned DSP. The Internal Accountability Branch (IAB) has been directed to conduct an independent probe to determine the reasons for taking Murtaza and his cousin into custody and to assess the police response during the rescue operation.
The spokesperson said the inquiry, ordered on the instructions of the Punjab chief minister, will be completed as soon as possible and that strict action will be taken against any officers found responsible for misconduct.
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