KARACHI: In a tragic incident, a young man, on his first visit to Karachi, lost his life due to alleged police torture while in the custody of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
A young man named Irfan, from Bahawalpur, had reportedly come to Karachi to visit the city. After eating breakfast along with his friends at Ayesha Manzil on Wednesday, he was making videos with friends when the police detained them on suspicion.
The police after taking them into custody turned off their mobiles. On Thursday evening, his uncle received a call from the SIU office, informing him about Irfan’s death.
The victim’s family has accused the SIU police of torturing Irfan to death.
Irfan’s parents are in Bahawalpur and his mother’s health deteriorated after hearing the news. “Even if there was a crime, the family should have been informed,” the uncle said, appealing to the Sindh Chief Minister and IGP for justice.
Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho said an inquiry has been ordered. “If necessary, legal action will be taken against the officers involved. The post-mortem will be conducted under a magistrate’s supervision to determine the cause of death,” he added.
SHO Chaudhry Zahid said the incident occurred on Wednesday, and Jinnah Hospital had informed police that an unidentified body had been dropped off.
“When officers reached the hospital, SIU police were already there along with a magistrate,” he said, adding that the victim’s family had not yet contacted the police station and that further legal proceedings are being handled by the SIU.
SSP SIU Amjad Sheikh confirmed that an inquiry is underway and that seven officers, including one senior police officer, have been suspended.
Meanwhile, Irfan’s post-mortem was completed and his body handed over to the family. According to Police Surgeon Dr. Samia Tariq, multiple injury marks were found on his body. Samples have been preserved for chemical analysis, and the final cause of death will be determined after lab reports are received.
