Lahore High Court notice a boy killing in police custody

Lahore High Court on Thursday took notice on a press report that a 20-year-old Shahid Iqbal expired due to alleged police torture. District & Sessions Judge, Vehari has been directed to look into the matter and submit a detailed report regarding steps taken by the local police along with his own comments.

According to details, Mitro and CIA police had detained two young boys, 20-year-old Shahid Iqbal and his cousin 19-year-old Nadeem, in connection with the kidnapping of a seven-year-old boy in July 2012 from Chak 94-WB, Garah Mor area, without registration of any case against them. They were allegedly tortured by the police at a private residence where Shahid breathed his last. The police shifted his body to the emergency ward of Vehari DHQ Hospital.

The victim’s family protested against the alleged police used third degree method during interrogation that resulted in his death. They also demanded stern action against the delinquent cops. According to news report, District Police Officer Sadiq Ali Dogar suspended 13 police officers, including two sub-inspectors, four assistant sub-inspectors and seven constables. DPO claimed strict action would be taken against the accused persons if the post-mortem report confirmed torture. Mitro police registered a murder case against the policemen under sections 302, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code. ASIs Abdul Rauf and Mukhtar Gujjar were arrested while the remaining accused including SIs Zafar Iqbal and Zafar Saho, ASIs Khizar Hayat and Hafiz Ismael were still at large. Dr Hammad of DHQ Hospital, who conducted autopsy of Iqbal, told the press that the victim had died due to severe manhandling. He said samples from the body had been sent to Lahore for chemical examination to determine the exact cause of his death.

Umer Hayat, uncle of the deceased, told newsmen that his seven-year-old son, Ali Umer, was kidnapped in July 2012 by unidentified men. He said the Mitro police failed to recover his son but detained over a dozen of his family members in the name of interrogation. He said his nephew, Shahid Iqbal, was detained a week ago and taken to an undisclosed place where he died due to severe police beating, he alleged. He claimed Nadeem was also inflicted injuries in police custody and was under treatment. Police had to release Nadeem after Shahid’s death.

LHC Complaint Cell took notice of the news on administrative side and directed the concerned D&SJ to look into the matter and submit report in a week.