Punjab government requests judicial inquiry into custodial death of Salahuddin Ayubi

The Punjab government has requested a judicial inquiry into the custodial death of Salahuddin Ayubi, a mentally disabled man accused of robbery who died allegedly as a result of police torture earlier this week. 

A First Information Report has been registered against the police officials involved in the incident, claim provincial authorities. All three policemen involved have been suspended. 

According to reports, a murder case has also been registered against three police officials, including the Station House Officer who was in charge of Salahuddin Ayubi. 

The provincial government is now waiting on a postmortem report of Ayubi to determine the authenticity of the charges against the police officials, and will proceed forward accordingly. 

Yesterday, a horrifying video has surfaced on social media which showed officials from the Punjab police beating and humiliating Salahuddin Ayubi in custody, sparking public outrage. 

In the video, two police officers can be seen hitting Ayubi and using abusive words to intimidate him. Ayubi appears to be in extreme pain and is struggling to comprehend the situation he is in. 

In a sickening display of abuse of power, the police officials can also be seen asking Ayubi to stick out his tongue for their amusement, apparently oblivious to the mental and physical condition of the suspect. 

Ayubi had went viral after he was caught stealing from an ATM in Faisalabad and then sticking his tongue out at the camera. Ayubi was apprehended from Rahim Yar Khan last week.

Ayubi was a resident of Gujranwala and mute. He was also mentally-challenged. His body has been handed over to his father for burial, suggest reports on social media.

Ayubi passed away while he was in police custody. He was reportedly suffering from a health condition and was rushed to a hospital when his condition deteriorated, where he died.

The district police officer had ordered an inquiry into his death, the exact cause of which would be determined in a postmortem. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had also taken notice of the incident.