Police custody death ignites public outrage

Family blocks GT Road, demanding justice

PESHAWAR:

A murder suspect met his demise under alleged torture within a Peshawar police station on Wednesday. Outraged protesters and grieving family members, deeply incensed by the incident, placed the deceased’s body on the main GT Road, initiating a blockade that halted traffic flow for several hours in a display of vehement protest.

The victim, Haroon Shah, a resident of Landy Sarak, was allegedly murdered. His father, Sabir Shah, filed an FIR with the Michni Gate police station, accusing Abid Shah, Sarwar Shah, and Noor Nabi Shah of the crime. Subsequently, Inspector Raza Bacha Khan, the designated investigation officer, launched a raid to apprehend the accused.

Acting on information that the three suspects were located at Faqir Kalay Chowk, the police swiftly arrested them. However, during the interrogation, Noor Nabi Shah’s condition abruptly deteriorated, prompting his transfer to Lady Reading Hospital where he breathed his last. Upon the return of the deceased’s body to the family, they vehemently rejected the notion of a natural death.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2023.