The Karachi police arrested two of the seven cops who were booked after a “teenage boy” died under controversial circumstances in the Special Investigation Unit’s (SIU) custody, while the victim’s relatives held a sit-in at Sohrab Goth on Saturday to demand justice.

The seven cops were suspended a day ago after the incident came to light. While the police claimed that Muhammad Irfan died of heart attack, his relatives alleged that he was tortured to death.

A first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered the same day at the Saddar Police Station on the complaint of SIU and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Station House Officer (SHO) Mumtaz Ahmed under Sections 34 (common intention) and 319 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code against seven nominated SIU/CIA officers.

“The SIU/CIA police have handed over custody of two suspects nominated in FIR … who have been arrested. If need be, we shall convert the case to 302 (premeditated murder) and arrest more SIU officials if they were found involved,” said South Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza whicle speaking to Dawn.

He confirmed that “preliminary post-mortem report establishes torture”.

Meanwhile, a large number of relatives and members of the community staged a sit-in at an Edhi morgue at Sohrab Goth while carrying the coffin of the victim, whose body was kept at the morgue, and blocked the main road.

Senior journalist Shahid Jatoi, one of the protesters, told Dawn that the people were demonstrating because “the case has been registered on complaint of the killers”. He said the policemen had promised the relatives that the FIR would be registered on the family’s complaint.

“The relatives visited the SIU/CIA centre on Friday night for the purpose of the FIR, but the police had already got the FIR registered on behalf of the state. They were informed that since FIR had already been registered, a second case could not be registered for the same offence,” Jatoi said.

He added that since then, three other people, who were detained along with Irfan, were released and cleared of any wrongdoing, the family and those gathered believed that the four were “innocent” and were tortured in custody, leading to Irfan’s death. The protesters urged the Sindh chief minister and police chief to provide justice in the matter.

Following the sit-in, thousands were stranded on major thoroughfares as traffic piled up and spilled onto nearby routes.

In a post on X after 10:30pm, Karachi Traffic Police said the road at Edhi Center in Sohrab Goth had reopened for traffic following the conclusion of the protest.

The road linking Sohrab Goth and Rashid Minhas Road was restored to normal traffic flow, according to traffic police officials.

Earlier in the evening, Karachi Traffic Police said in a statement that traffic at Edhi Centre Sohrab Goth, towards Shafiq Mor main Rashid Minhas Road was closed for traffic.

Traffic coming from Gulshan-i-Iqbal was being diverted under Sohrab Goth bridge towards Sharea Pakistan, while traffic coming from Water Pump was being diverted towards Al-Asif Square.

FIR

The FIR said that four people were detained by the SIU police party from Lilly Bridge near Cantonment Station in the limits of Frere Police Station on Wednesday. A day ago, the SIU had told Dawn that they were arrested from Ayesha Manzil in the FB Area of the city.

The FIR added they were detained on information provided by a special informant, a case was registered against the four on the same day, and they were handed over to an assistant sub-inspector (ASI).

SHO Ahmed said he came to know through the investigating office of the case that two other ASIs had continued interrogating Irfan when his health deteriorated suddenly and he became unconscious.

The SHO added that the IO took Irfan to the hospital without informing him. SHO Ahmed said the SIU personnel had committed “negligence” during Irfan’s arrest and custody. He said it transpired that the registration of the case against the deceased was also “dubious” and the entire matter raised suspicion.