‘Zeeshan’s shoulder, arms and knees were fractured. His ribs were also fractured which is evident from the injury marks… He was killed in a brutal manner,’ concludes his uncle

Waquar Hasan 

NEW DELHI – Family members of 18-year-old Zeeshan Malik, who died in Tihar jail on Monday, alleged that his body had a lot of injury marks which suggest that Malik was tortured in the jail.

Zeeshan was in jail for three months in a case of stealing cigarettes. On 14 February, investigating officer Niranjan Kumar asked Zeeshan’s father Ayyub Malik to visit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital to meet his son, whose condition was serious. When Zeeshan’s parents reached the hospital, Kumar informed them that their son was no more.

Talking to Clarion India, Zeeshan’s uncle, Furqan, said days ago, Zeeshan’s father met him in the jail. Zeeshan was hale and hearty at that time. How could he fall ill suddenly, and die? It’s a mystery.

“I have seen the photo of Zeeshan’s dead body. He had some injury marks in different parts of his body. If Zeeshan had died due to some illness, there won’t have been any injury marks on his body,” said Furqan.

On Monday, when they saw the body, it was disfigured beyond recognition. His father, however, could be able to recognise him only after seeing his toe nails. His mother and sisters recognised him after his face was cleaned.

“Marks of blood clots were visible on his face. His head too bore marks of beatings. He was also hit in his eyes,” said Furqan.

Zeeshan’s body was not handed over to the family immediately after his death. It took three days for the family to access his dead body, only then he could be buried. Furqan said they found the injury marks while giving bathe to his dead body.

Furqan believes his nephew was beaten up by four to five people. “Zeeshan’s shoulder, arms and knees were fractured. His ribs were also fractured which is evident from the injury marks… He was killed in a brutal manner,” said the distraught uncle amid sobs.

Clarion India examined the photos showing injury marks in Zeeshan’s body.

On Thursday, the family members protested against the police in front of Makkar Hospital at Patparganj road. Policemen at a local police station in Delhi’s Preet Vihar met and promised them justice. The SHO gave the family a written undertaking to this effect.

The family demanded a CBI inquiry to find out how Zeeshan was killed and who are behind his death. Furqan specifically wants the role of the jail authorities probed, as he says, they would know who beat his nephew.

“We are poor people. Zeeshan’s father is a rickshaw puller. They live in a rented house. Please give us justice,” pleads Furqan.