Another ‘robber’ dies in police custody

Boy was arrested after a robbery FIR filed against him by his neighbour.

MARDAN: A young boy arrested by Shergarh police in a robbery case died in police custody on Friday.

Dr Kamran, CMO, at Mardan Medical Complex, who treated Akhtar Ali, 20, a Matric student, told The Express Tribune that he was unconscious when the police and family members brought him to the hospital at 8pm. He said that the post-mortem shows signs of strangulations on his throat and they pronounced him dead at 10: 30pm.

He further said that he was brought in a serious condition and they provided him first aid. “His condition was very serious when he was brought in. We were about to refer him to LRH Peshawar,” he added.

The CMO further added that his father, Sabz Ali, talked to him personally to be impartial in the case and prepare a fair post-mortem report. “We are here to facilitate the people and we didn’t favour anyone while rendering our duties,” he claimed. He informed that the victim’s eye had sustained a deep black scar as well.

Sabz Ali, father of the deceased told The Express Tribune said that his family members went to meet his son but they found him dead in the police station. He blamed the police of torturing his son severely which, he said, had led to his son’s death.

They took the body to the road and suspended traffic for around an hour on Nowsehra Mardan Road outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s residence. The family members and all the locals of the area accompanied the victim.

They shouted slogans against police and demanded of the chief minister to provide them justice by taking the involved cops to task.

When contacted, Arif Khan, a police constable said that Akhtar Ali, a resident of Chandani Chowk Shergarh, was arrested yesterday (Thursday) after a robbery FIR filed against him along with his friend that took place on August 21. “The FIR was registered by his neighbour Abdullah Shah alleging him of taking away 10 tolas gold, two cell phones, 1 pistols and 22000 cash,” he added.

Arif further said that when his relatives came to meet him, they found him strangulated in the washroom when he didn’t respond to their calls.

The police official said that he committed suicide. He denied torture allegations against the police and claimed how could police do such an act.