Student dies in Peshawar Police custody

PESHAWAR: In yet another tragic incident, a grade-7 student was found dead in the lock-up of the West Cantonment Police Station on Sunday. This happened a few days after a student from Bannu was shot dead by the cops in the limits of the Faqirabad Police Station.

The staff of the West Cantonment Police Station was suspended after the tragic incident while the concerned cops, including the station house officer, have been arrested and a case lodged against them.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Governor Shah Farman, while taking notice of the incident, directed the Inspector General of Police to conduct an inquiry and submit report on the death of the young student. They expressed anger as to what made the student commit suicide in the lock-up if the police version is true.

The chief minister also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. Police claimed the young boy Shahzeb committed suicide in the lock-up after he was arrested following a clash with shopkeepers in Liaqat Bazaar and pointing a gun at them.

The spokesman for the Peshawar Police said the deceased was arrested by the cops of the West Cantonment Police Station after the clash and a case was lodged against him under 15 AA.

"The boy later committed suicide in the lock-up by strangulating himself," said the official. The father of the deceased, however, said his son was tortured to death but the cops staged the drama that he committed suicide.

"My son was a brilliant student of class 7 who stood second in class in the last exams. I received a call from the police station that your son has been arrested. When I came to the police station, I was told Shahzeb had committed suicide in the lock-up," said the father of the deceased student, Khayal Akbar of Warsak Road in Peshawar.

He was visibly shaken after the tragic death of his young son in police custody. His relatives and villagers staged a demonstration and blocked the road outside the West Cantonment Police Stations to protest the death of the young student.

They were demanding justice for the family as well as strict action against all those involved in the torture on the deceased student. The protesters calmed down only after they saw the SHO and other cops behind the bars.

Many have been questioning as to what made the young boy commit suicide even if the police version is true. Questions were also raised as to how the incident happened when senior cops have claimed that all the police stations, offices of SHOs and lock-ups are being monitored through CCTV cameras to stop the torture during custody as well as improve the treatment with the people in custody.

Many on social media demanded that instead of cosmetic measures and eyewash, the practice of torturing innocent people in lock-up, on roads and during raids should be stopped and cops should be educated about rights of the common man.

The Capital City Police Officer, Abbas Ahsan, and SSP Operations Yasir Afridi later told a press conference that all the staff of the police station has been suspended and the concerned SHO and cops have been arrested and a case lodged against them.

The CCPO said an application has been submitted for a judicial inquiry of the case. He said that the CCTV footage of the police station has been collected and will be provided to the judicial commission. "Justice will be done in the case," said the CCPO.

Last year, the inhuman torture on a young man, Amir, in Tehkal triggered protests that continued for many days. The authorities later arrested the concerned SHO and other cops involved in the incident.

Before that one Fida Mohammad detained on the charge of mobile phone theft died in the Agha Mir Jani Shah Police Station in November 2018. A case was registered against the-then SHO and another cop. The case was later disposed of after the family of the deceased made a compromise with the police.

In September 2019, one Imranullah was found dead at the University Town Police Station. An inquiry later said that the accused was a drug addict who died a natural death. In October 2019, one Ajmal Shah held for theft died at the Khan Raziq Shaheed Police Station.

The same month, one Naveed detained in a police station over the torture of a resident was rushed to the hospital after he fell ill. He was later declared dead. Only a few days ago, a young student from Bannu, Mubashir Ahmad was shot dead allegedly by two policemen in the limits of the Faqirabad Police Station. Both the cops were later arrested and an inquiry has been ordered.