Foul play alleged in case of death of suspect kept in police custody in Karachi.

KARACHI -- A suspected criminal, who had been arrested by the Landhi police a couple of days ago and according to the law enforcement agency was badly injured with multiple wounds when he was taken into custody, died during treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Thursday.

The hospital officials said that the 38-year-old man had multiple bruises and died within two hours after he was moved to the health facility by 'unknown persons'.

Although the police confirmed his arrest for multiple criminal charges, the move fell short to convince the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, members of which staged a protest with the family members of the deceased outside the JPMC and demanded probe into his 'custodial death'.

The protest prompted higher authorities to order an inquiry into the circumstances which led to his death.

Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of the JPMC, told Dawn that Abdul Qadir, 38, was brought to the emergency section of the hospital at around 2.30pm on Thursday. It was not known who brought him to the hospital. There were multiple bruises on his body. There was also a head injury while his one eye was blackened due to impact of wounds. He died during treatment within two hours, added Dr Jamali.

Police Surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi told Dawn that at night the deceased was in custody of the Landhi police, whose officials had arrived at the mortuary of the hospital.

A doctors' team under supervision of the magistrate concerned would carry out a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of his death.

A senior police officer, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that Abdul Qadir and another suspect were allegedly detained by a...