The mysterious circumstances revolving around a seventh grade student’s death in police custody on Sunday triggered a protest demonstration by the relatives and local people outside the Gharbi (western) police station.
While taking prompt notice, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan suspended the entire staff of the Gharbi police station and ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
According to police, the student identified as Shahzaib, son of Khyal Mohammad and resident of Warsak Road, was arrested on Sunday after exchanging hot words with a shopkeeper and pointing a weapon at him.
Advisor to the chief minister on information Kamran Bangash said that exemplary punishment would be given to the police officials if they were found involved in the killing of the student after the judicial inquiry.
He said that soon after the occurrence the chief minister directed IGP Sanaullah Abbasi to visit the police station and report to him the actual situation.
Speaking at a press conference, Chief City Police Officer Abbas Ihsan and SSP operations Yasir Afridi said investigation into the death of the student was underway.
The Gharbi police SHO Dost Mohammad was also arrested and put behind the bars. The police registered an FIR against Shahzaib under section 15 of the Arms Act on the complaint of the shopkeepers. However, later Shahzaib committed suicide inside the lockup, the statement added.
In a video message recorded on the premises of the police station, the father of Shahzaib alleged that his son died due to police torture in the lockup. He said his son went to the bazaar at around 2 pm to make his pictures needed for the school examinations.
He said the police called him on a mobile phone at 3 pm that his son was with them in the lockup. He said he reached the police station within half an hour.
“When I reached the police station the police didn’t tell me anything for three hours about my son’s condition,” he said, adding the police informed him later that his son had committed suicide by hanging himself with something in the lockup.
He alleged that first his son was killed by police torture and then his body was hanged to convey the message that he had committed suicide. He demanded of the authorities to provide him justice as his son was treated inhumanly by police.
