Mumbai blasts: Man picked up for questioning dies

Fayaz Usmani, brother of 2008 Gujarat blast suspect Afzal Usmani, died in hospital after being questioned by police in connection with Wednesday's serial blasts here, with the family alleging that he was tortured in custody.

Usmani died at 1:30 AM while he was undergoing treatment for hemiparesis and hypertension in the Lokmanya Tilak Hospital here, doctors said.

Usmani, a resident of suburban Govandi, was picked up for questioning yesterday and admitted in the hospital at 5:50 PM.

Dr Ryan Kumar, a doctor at the hospital said, "He died due to brain haemorrhage. This condition is usually when a person is exposed to some kind of shock".

Azeem Usmani, the victim's son alleged, "My father was picked up for questioning and pressurised during interrogation. They are to blame for his death".

However, the Mumbai Police denied the charge.

Mumbai Police Spokesperson Nisar Tamboli said, "He was brought for questioning by the Chembur unit. He was suffering from hypertension and had not take medicines for the last three-four days. He was admitted to the hospital last evening and the allegations of torture by police are absolutely untrue".

A person claiming to be the neighbour of Faiz alleged that he was picked up for questioning and tortured leading to his death.

Tamboli said the postmortem will ascertain the exact cause of Usmani's death.

SP leader Abu Azmi, who visited the hospital, said, "I will meet the home minister and the chief minister tomorrow. An inquiry should be conducted. While we all want that the accused should be arrested and hanged, but the police cannot harass a common man to such an extent that he burst a vein in his head because of all the tension".