14-year-old student dies in Peshawar Police custody

A 14-year-old student of Grade 7 was found dead in police custody in Peshawar on Sunday. According to the police, Shahzeb was arrested on Sunday after a fight with a shopkeeper and a weapon was recovered from him. The police claimed that the youth later committed suicide in the lockup. An alleged CCTV footage of his suicide is also doing the rounds on social media.

Read more – Police brutality, again

On the other hand, Shahzeb’s father said his son had gone to get his pictures taken around 2 pm on Sunday as he needed them for his school. He said when he reached the police station after he got a call that his son had been arrested, the police did not tell him for three hours about his son’s condition. He believes that his son did not commit suicide but died due to police torture.

A teenager has died while in Police custody in Peshawar. Police arrested him a day earlier for not carrying motorbike documents. This needs thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of his death. His father here narrates details of the case.#JusticeForSHAHZEBAFRIDI pic.twitter.com/9abeEjYKqX

— Ihtesham Afghan (@IhteshamAfghan) March 14, 2021

Responding to the incident, Peshawar CCPO said that “in view of the tragic young death, the entire staff of the respective police station has been suspended, [an] FIR registered and responsible staff arrested.”

The CCPO added that he has also requested a judicial inquiry into the matter. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IG) KP has said that he will monitor the incident himself.

In view of the tragic death of young Shahzeb, the complete police station staff has been suspended, FIR registered, responsible staff arrested and judicial inquiry requested.

— Capital City Police Peshawar (@PeshawarCCPO) March 14, 2021

SHO is arrested along with all staff present at Police station https://t.co/CtGdPaeN08 pic.twitter.com/jDmVWola6g

— Jalal Qazi (@JalalQazi) March 14, 2021

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Chief Minister KP on Information and Public Relations, Kamran Bangash has said that CM KP Mahmood Khan has ordered a judicial inquiry into the tragic incident and is monitoring the situation personally.

He added that he and Deputy Speaker Provincial Assembly Mahmood Jan met with the family of the deceased and offered condolences on behalf of the government.

Video report of the incident:

Incidents of police brutality are not uncommon in Pakistan. Earlier in January 2020, five officials of Islamabad Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were arrested after they gunned down a 21-year-old boy, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital.