Seven policemen have been suspended after a teenage boy died in the custody of Sindh Police’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

 

While police claimed that Muhammad Irfan died of a heart attack, his family alleged that he was tortured to death.

 

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told a private media outlet that the body of a boy identified as Irfan was brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for a post-mortem examination.

 

She said there were “multiple injuries on the body”, but the cause of death would be confirmed after the chemical examination report.

 

According to police documents submitted to the medico-legal section of JPMC, the deceased was a 30-year-old, while his relatives told reporters that he was only 16.

 

Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho said Irfan and three others were detained on suspicion of being involved in robberies. He claimed that Irfan suffered a heart attack soon after being taken into custody and died.

 

He said the post-mortem was conducted in the presence of a magistrate, and the police were waiting for the final report before starting legal action. Odho said if the report confirmed any torture or wrongdoing, the officers involved would face both departmental and criminal proceedings. He added that he had appointed the Korangi SSP as an inquiry officer to determine the circumstances leading to the death.

 

Meanwhile, Irfan’s relatives told the media that he had recently arrived in Karachi from his hometown Ahmedpur East. They said Irfan and three friends went for breakfast at Ayesha Manzil on Wednesday morning but did not return. Their phones also remained switched off.

 

On Thursday evening, Irfan’s uncle received a call from the SIU office informing him about his nephew’s death. The family claimed Irfan died from police torture and urged the Sindh chief minister and police chief to take action and ensure justice.

 

Senior journalist Shahid Jatoi posted on social media that Irfan’s mother suffered a heart attack after hearing about her son’s death.

 

Meanwhile, SIU SSP Amjad Ahmed Shaikh said the police received information that four suspects were recording videos of banks and ATMs. He said an SIU team detained them from Ayesha Manzil on Wednesday and brought them to the SIU/CIA Centre in Saddar at around 5:30 pm.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Irfan’s health deteriorated, and he was taken to JPMC where doctors declared him dead on arrival.