Youth picked up by SIU cops dies

Body bears torture marks, family stages protest demands justice

KARACHI:

Three Special Investigation Unit (SIU) assistant sub-inspectors and four constables were suspended on Friday in connection with the death of a youngster in custody allegedly due to torture.

According to deceased Irfan's relatives, he was visiting from Bahawalpur and on Wednesday morning SIU officials detained him and his three friends while they were filming videos during breakfast. Their families were unable to reach them after the SIU officials allegedly confiscated their mobile phones. The family staged a protest outside the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Centre in Saddar, accusing the police of causing Irfan's death.

According to Saddar Police Station SHO Chaudhry Zahid, the police was alerted by Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) about an unidentified body brought in. When Zahid's team reached JPMC they found SIU personnel present on site as well as a magistrate. The victim's family had not contacted the police by then and SIU Saddar was on the case, said Zahid.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amjad Sheikh said that further inquiry is underway.

Protest oudside morgue

The family and relatives of Irfan staged a protest on Friday by placing his body on the road outside the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth, demanding justice and the arrest of those responsible.

The protesters, including the boy's grieving parents and relatives, called for an impartial investigation into the incident and immediate registration of a case against the SIU personnel involved. Due to the demonstration, traffic between Sohrab Goth and Shafiq Mor came to a standstill for several hours. Police and traffic officials later arrived to divert vehicles to alternative routes.

According to the family, the deceased, identified as Irfan, had come to Karachi from Bahawalpur's Ahmadpur Sharqia area, which was affected by flooding. He was staying with his uncle in Buffer Zone's BR Society. On Wednesday morning, Irfan went out for breakfast with three friends - Nasir, Salman, and Imran - near Ayesha Manzil. While the group was taking selfies and recording videos, SIU personnel allegedly detained them on suspicion, seized their mobile phones, and subjected them to brutal interrogation.

Witnesses and relatives claim Irfan could not survive the alleged torture and died in custody. His body was later shifted to Jinnah Hospital for postmortem before being transferred to the Sohrab Goth Edhi morgue. Emotional scenes were witnessed as Irfan's family wept over his body, demanding accountability from the authorities.

Neighbour Azhar Zia, speaking to reporters, said the incident was a stark example of "police brutality" and indifference. Zia added that Irfan was the eldest of four siblings and had come to Karachi hoping to find work to support his family, as his father was elderly and unable to earn. "If he had committed any crime, police should have followed the law and informed the family - not taken the law into their own hands," he said.

The victim's family appealed to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, and Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon to conduct a transparent investigation into the unlawful detention and custodial death of Irfan and bring the responsible officers to justice.

The protest at Sohrab Goth was eventually called off after negotiations with police officials, following which traffic flow in the area was restored.