The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) arrested eight cops on Monday afternoon on charges that they murdered a man and tortured two others while they were in police custody.

Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola said that on February 23, police officers from the Soweto crime intelligence gathering unit booked out three suspects - who were arrested for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and dagga - from the Lenasia police station and took them to Protea police station.

One of the suspects collapsed and died while being interrogated by the officers. Paramedics were called and certified him dead.

The members took the two remaining suspects back to Lenasia police cells in the early hours of February 24.

Cola said because of the differences between the police version of what transpired and that of the two surviving suspects, and that Ipid was never called to the crime scene after the death, the police watchdog reconstructed the crime scene to establish the facts of what actually occurred.

“The directorate is also appointing a private pathologist to get a second opinion on the actual cause of death. The investigation process continues.”

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