Police watchdog Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating allegations of assault of a 26-year-old man who claimed he was punched and brutalised by cops who were searching for then missing Hillary Gardee.

Njabulo Magudulela, 26, who lives a few streets away from Gardee's home in KaMagugu, Mpumalanga, received a rude awakening from a group of plain-clothed police who stormed his home two days after Gardee's disappearance on Friday April 29. ..