Haripur police accused of torturing youth

A youngster was allegedly tortured by some officers of the district police in their private jail after he failed to pay them Rs0.2 million in bribes.

Parents of the victim, while addressing a news conference at the Haripur press club on Saturday, claimed that their son had been allegedly arrested over trumped-up charges.

The father of the victim said that police personnel identified as Tasawar, Zahid and Ihsan alias Babu, wanted the youngster to pay them Rs0.2 million in bribes. When he refused to do so, they warned him that he could be framed in a fake case and arrested.

A few days later, the victim’s father said, some police personnel deputed at the City police station of Haripur along with the DSP and SHO, raided his house and arrested his son.

He added that the police officers allegedly snatched Rs18,000 which they found on him at the time of his illegal arrest.

Instead of taking him to the jail cell, lodging a proper FIR against him and present him before a magistrate within 24 hours, the police officers allegedly kept him in a private torture cell.

They further claimed that their son has been illegally detained for four days by the police. During this time he was severely tortured.

The beleaguered father urged the Hazara division DIG, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa IG and Human Rights Commission to take notice of the injustice meted out to them.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2020.