Peshawar Teenager’s Death in Police Custody Gets Dubious

The teenager’s death in Peshawar gets dubious as the police claimed him to be a criminal who hung himself inside the lock-up while the family maintains the young student was tortured to death in detention which the police was trying to frame it as a suicide.

According to details, the 14-year-old Shahzaib, who was a seventh-grade student, was booked by West Cantonment police for not carrying registration papers of his motorcycle.

The teenager was allegedly beaten in the lock-up and he succumbed to the wounds, the victim’s father accused.

The deceased’s family also approached the police for registration of a first information report (FIR) against involved policemen. They threatened to stage a protest by keeping victim’s body on the road if the legal action was not initiated.

The father alleged that police killed his child which it was trying to frame as a suicide. He questioned where the student got the rope.

“My son was only 14 years old and the police were trying to prove him a criminal by declaring him 18-year-old”, the father pleaded.

Police’s version

West Cantonment police personnel said that Shahzaib pulled out a gun after a quarrel with two shopkeepers in Liaquat Bazar on Warsak Road.

However, the shopkeepers managed to grapple armed suspect and handed him over to the police.

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The police registered a case against the teenager and put him in the lock-up. After a few moments, the suspect committed suicide in custody.

CM takes notice

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has taken strict notice of the incident. He also ordered a judicial inquiry into the mishap.

He directed KP Inspector General (IG) to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report.

Mehmood Khan said that if police involvement was found, the personnel would not be spared.

He assured that the victim’s family would be dispensed justice.

CCPO holds presser

In a presser, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Abbas Ahsan told entire police station staff has been suspended.

He added that an application for the judicial inquiry has been submitted to the related authorities too.

CCPO told they have obtained the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of the incident however further investigation would disclose more facts and realities.

Further, Peshawar Operations SSP Yasir Afridi said that the victim committed suicide using his jacket.

This is not the first case of a suspect’s death in police custody in KP.

In a number of incidents previously, KP police have been accused of torturing the suspects in detention.

Many questions have been raised on claims of police reforms by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government which is ruling KP for almost eight years now.

The questions have also been raised on what compelled the student to commit suicide and why he was detained for not merely producing registration papers of his motorbike.

Social media users have demanded strict action against the perpetrators.