A 14-year-old boy, identified as Irfan, allegedly died due to police torture while in the custody of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) in Karachi, according to his family.
Relatives of the deceased claimed that Irfan was taken into custody along with three other relatives from Ayesha Manzil on Wednesday morning. His uncle, Azhar Zia, told reporters that Irfan was a resident of Ahmadpur Sharqia and had come to Karachi for daily wage work after floods displaced his family.
“After being detained, all four boys’ mobile phones were switched off. We searched for them everywhere. On Thursday evening, we were called to the SIU office, where officials informed us that Irfan had died,” said Zia.
He added that Irfan had been making a TikTok video with his friends after breakfast when SIU officials detained them on suspicion. The boys were allegedly subjected to severe torture while being driven around in a police vehicle.
Police later brought Irfan’s body to Jinnah Hospital, claiming that he had died of a heart attack. However, his family alleged that he succumbed to torture injuries. The other three boys, who were later released, also claimed they were blindfolded and beaten.
Following the incident, Irfan’s relatives and locals protested outside the CIA Center, demanding justice and the registration of a murder case against the officers involved.
The Saddar police said that the boy’s post-mortem examination will be conducted under a magistrate’s supervision to determine the exact cause of death.
Reports indicate that seven SIU personnel have been suspended, while senior police officials, including the DIG CIA and SSP SIU, have yet to issue a statement despite repeated contact attempts.
