Judicial inquiry ordered into student’s death in custody

PESHAWAR: A judicial inquiry into the death of the grade-7 student in police custody was ordered as the deceased was laid to rest on Monday.

The district and sessions judge, Peshawar deputed a judicial magistrate to conduct the inquiry under Section 176 Criminal Procedure Code into the death of the student Shahzeb in custody at the West Cantonment Police Station. The magistrate was directed to submit the report within two weeks.

Shahzeb, a young student from Warsak Road, Peshawar was laid to rest in his ancestral village on Monday. Hundreds of people attended the funeral prayers. The police said he committed suicide in the lock-up of the West Cantonment Police Station on Sunday, but his father alleged that Shahzeb was tortured to death. Police said he was arrested after a brawl with local shopkeepers in Liaqat Bazaar and pointing gun at them.

The staff of the police station was suspended and the Station House Officer, Dost Mohammad, was arrested after the tragic incident. He was produced on Monday before a local court that remanded him in police custody for three days. It is being investigated as to why wasn’t the deceased kept in a separate observation room if he was a juvenile. The officials are also investigating the factors that led to the suicide.

It is also being probed as to why there was no cop to stop the extreme step by someone in custody despite the fact that the lock-up was being monitored via CCTV.

The alleged suicide of the grade-7 student Shahzeb in West Cantonment Police Station and the killing of another student Mobashir Ahmad in the jurisdiction of Faqirabad Police Station during the last few days have not only damaged the image of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police but also highlighted the need for real reforms at the police station level. People are demanding educating the cops for politely dealing with a common man during raids, snap-checking and at police stations. They want the cops to be taught to respect the public, take care of their basic rights and ensure the safety of people in police custody.

The death of the student enraged people in the provincial capital as well as other parts of the country. They sought action against the cops involved in the incident.

People questioned as to what made the young boy commit suicide. They also questioned how the incident happened when the senior cops have claimed that all the police stations, offices of SHOs and lock-ups were being monitored through CCTV cameras to stop torture during custody and improve the treatment of the cops with those being held for various reasons. 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 ought to be educated about the rights of the common man.

While many were criticising the police force after the suicide of the student in lock-up, some cops came out in support of their colleagues.

They complained the public is condemning the death of the student but no one remembers the martyrdom of Niaz Mohammad, additional SHO in Khyber district who was martyred in a recent encounter with smugglers.

Last year, the inhuman torture of a young man, Amir in Tehkal locality i9n Peshawar had triggered protests that continued for days. The authorities later arrested the relevant SHOs 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 and had 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 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.