Karachi shopkeeper dies in police custody under controversial circumstances

KARACHI: A shopkeeper, who was arrested on trivial charges on the complaint of a police constable, died in custody under controversial circumstances as an autopsy found “injury marks” on the body on Saturday.

After the family of victim Waqasuddin, 35, staged a protest and accused the law enforcers of torture, nine police officers, including the Preedy SHO, were suspended.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that three people, including Waqas, were arrested on Friday night by the Preedy police and booked in a rioting case registered on the complaint of Constable Mohammed Osama who alleged that he was beaten by the trio.

He said that at around 1:30am on Saturday, Waqas’ health “suddenly deteriorated” and the police took him to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi where doctors declared him dead.

He said a post-mortem examination was carried out under the supervision of a judicial magistrate and the autopsy report would determine the exact cause of the death.

However, according to the autopsy report, seen by Dawn, there were “injury marks on his face and ear, and blood was oozing from the wounds”.

Following his death, relatives of Waqas took to the streets to demand justice. They told the media that Constable Osama’s bike had hit Waqas’ motorbike and he had him and his two other friends arrested because of this issue.

Waqas was then subjected to “torture” and when he died the police quietly released his two friends.

The victim was a shopkeeper in a mobile market in Saddar and his colleagues also joined the protest by suspending their commercial activities.

On Saturday evening, an order issued by DIG Raza stated that Preedy SHO Pervez Solangi and eight other policemen were suspended and an inquiry had been initiated into their conduct in connection with the death of the shopkeeper.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2025