Tortured to death by the police and Prison officials for not paying bribes

Name of the victim: Mr. Abid Javed Francis, 31, electrician by profession, belonged to a poor family. Father died some years ago and mother works in a private clinic as nurse. Family lives in slum.
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By a Special correspondent from Islamabad

( January 07, Islamabad, Sri Lanka Guardian) November 22, 2009, he died on December 10 in custody at civil hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Post mortem report says the victim died of five severe injuries on the head and upper part of the body and cause of the death was hematoma (blood clotting inside brain) on the left side of the head. The post mortem also says that the injuries were inflicted upon the victim over a time spanning from two to three weeks. Incidentally, he was under the custody of police during this period.

Illegal arrest and Torture

After two days in custody and continuous torture a false case of keeping fire arms was filed against him. Further, when his family failed to arrange the bribe another case of stealing a motorbike was also registered within 10 minutes of the first one.

Station head officer (SHO) of Ferozabad police station, Karachi arrested the victim without charges when he was going with his electrician kit to the job. The SHO then demanded Rupees 10,000 (USD125). He was tortured for two days at the police station to get bribe for his release. Booked two days after his arrest on under section 13D/2 and 411 of criminal procedure code of Pakistan (Cr. Pc)

On November 24, he was produced before court of magistrate for police remand for the recovery of motorbike. Magistrate followed police instruction and gave two days physical remand to police, which means police can handle physically.

He was shifted to Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) at Aziz Bhatti park police station Gulshan Iqbal, Karachi, where he was tortured and demand of bribe was increased to Rupees 20,000. (USD 250).

Then he was shifted to ACLC at Sharifabad police station, Liaquatabad town for further investigation. Where, he was seriously tortured for two days even before his mother and mother-in- law to pressure them to provide bribe. Once he was fainted before his mother. The police increased their demand of bribe from Rupees 20,000 to 50,000 (USD 625).

On November 26, he was produced in the Magistrate’s Court in severe conditions with visible torture marks on the face and hands before the magistrate. The magistrate put him under judicial remand to without taking any notice of torture which is required

under the law. The victim was thereafter sent to Karachi Central jail.

Because of Eid holidays (Muslim religious festival) mother could not see him before December 2. The mother was not allowed to meet him with out paying Rupees two thousand to the jail staff. He also complained of torture inside the jail for further money as bribe. She requested jail authorities to move him to hospital inside jail. The staff of the jail asked Rupees 10,000 for shifting to hospital and also told her that a big share of the amount will go the Superintendent of prison. She promised to bring money next day.

Next day she could not manage therefore she was not allowed to meet.

On December 7, she managed half of the demanded amount and she was told by the authorities that victim, Abid Francis, can not meet her as his condition was severe and he is on stretcher. She shouted and cried and she was allowed to meet him. Her son was on stretcher and was with out dress but was only in underwear in the cold December in open sky out side the jail hospital. On her protest and hue and cry and also because of his fragile condition he shifted to civil hospital Karachi.

At civil hospital, doctors told her that he could not be saved as he had severe injuries inside the head. He was shifted to Neurology ward where on December 10; he succumbed to his head injuries.