Police authorities on Monday ordered an inquiry to ascertain the role of the police in the killing of a 14-year-old shot dead during an exchange of fire between police and alleged drug dealers in the Orangi Town area of the city.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohammed Younis Chandio said that the police had received a drug-related complaint on the Madadgar 15 helpline against Kashif, alias Dabbu, from the Quaid-e-Awam Colony of Orangi Town.

"As police party took him into custody, certain people of the area put up resistance and tried to get him freed," said the SSP.

Alleged drug dealers located in the area also resorted to aerial firing to get the suspect released, at which the police responded. During the exchange of fire, one 14-year old, Rehan, who was standing outside his house in the vicinity, sustained a critical bullet wound on his chest and died.

The death of the teenager angered the area's residents, who protested outside the Mominabad Police Station.

The demonstration attracted the attention of higher authorities, who pacified the protesters by suspending Station House Officer (SHO) Mumtaz Marwat and registered a murder case against policeman Majid and a civilian, both of whom were subsequently arrested.

Superintendent Police (SP) Abid Ali Baloch told Dawn that a first information report (483/2017) had been registered against the policeman and another individual under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of the victim’s father, Fida Husain Shah.

Baloch confirmed that the arrested policeman had been suspended earlier, while the other nominated individual had worked as a police informant.

The SHO was suspended on charges of negligence, as he was present on the spot but did not take appropriate action to bring the situation under control, said SSP Chandio.

However, he said that the Deputy Inspector General Zulfiqar Ali Larik had directed SSP Irfan Ali Baloch and SSP (Investigation) Zeeshan Siddiqi "to conduct an inquiry to determine the circumstances and role of police in killing of public person namely Rehan Fida Hussain, 14, during the raid conducted by police personnel at about 11pm."

The report will be completed within seven days.

SSP Chandio said that the teenager had sustained bullet wounds fired from a 9mm pistol, but it was too early to say who fired the fatal shot.

IG Sindh takes notice of alleged torture of trader

Taking notice of media reports of young trader's alleged torture by police officials, Inspector General Sindh A.D. Khawaja on Monday ordered the DIG West to submit a detailed inquiry report and SSP West to immediately submit a clarification on the matter.

IGP Khawaja also said that departmental action should immediately be taken against those responsible and justice should not be delayed in the matter.

SITE police allegedly detained a citizen and subjected him to torture in custody before releasing him after extracting money, which promoted the IGP Sindh to order an inquiry against the policemen, officials said on Monday.

SITE SP Asif Ahmed Bughio told Dawn that a preliminary probe revealed that SITE police detained the citizen from Ittehad Town two days ago and kept him in police custody where he was allegedly tortured and later released after giving them money.

The officer said that the victim has not approached the police to lodge a case so far.

The provincial police chief said that action not only taken against the policemen who subjected the citizen to torture but departmental action should also be taken against the supervisory officer of the police in the area.