MIRPURKHAS: An under trial prisoner was allegedly subjected to `brutal torture` at Mirpurkhas Central Jail when he failed to pay the jail officials Rs20,000, the last installment of the Rs50,000 bribe they had demanded for `certain facilities`, claimed brother of the UTP.

The jail authorities outright rejected the allegations and said the torture claims were fabricated, unfounded.

Rizwan Khanzada told journalists here on Thursday that brother Zeeshan Khanzada, who was an under trial prisoner in an attempt to murder case, was asked by jail authorities to pay Rs50,000 bribe for provision of `certain facilities`.

He said that he had given him Rs30,000 to pay the bribe but the officials were soon demanding the remaining Rs20,000. When he failed to pay up the bribe the jail officials started subjecting him to torture, he said.

He demanded caretaker Sindh chief minister order an impartial inquiry into the incident and suspend jail superintendent.

Rizwan had made a video of his brother showing torture marks on his body during his meeting with him in the jail.

SP central prison Shahabuddin Siddique said that Rizwan was a local journalist, who had staged the farce about torture on his brother in the jail after he refused to accept his illegal demands for giving a free hand to his favorite officials in the prison.

He staged the drama when the UTP appeared in court on Oct 12 and filmed his fabricated statement while in reality no incident of torture had occurred on the premises of the jail. The torture marks had been faked to blackmail the jail authorities, he said.