A 35-year-old labourer died today after he was allegedly tortured by the Panchkula police at the Sector-14 police station on Diwali night. The family of deceased, Hira Lal, a resident of of the Sector-14 slum, alleged that the policemen had arrested him claiming that he was indulging in gambling. The policemen allegedly robbed him of Rs 350 before assaulting him.

Protesting against the police highhandedness, the relatives and neighbours of Hira Lal took his body to the police station and sat on dharna protesting against the police. The police, however, forced them to disperse and shifted the body to the General Hospital in Sector 6 for a post-mortem.

A neighbour of Hira Lal, Mukesh, said, “I and two others Anil and Kamlesh were playing cards on Diwali evening when two policemen in plain clothes took them to the police station. I, Anil and Kamlesh were thrashed by policemen but released later. All our money was taken by the policemen.”However, Hira Lal was beaten up severely as he was under the influence of liquor but he was also let off, alleged Mukesh.

Phoolwati, the widow of Hira Lal, was in a state of shock.

Inspector Aman, SHO of Sector 14, said, “He was never brought to the police station.” SP Amitabh Dhillon said following the allegations of the family, they have requested the health department to constitute a board of doctors for the post-mortem of the body.