MARDAN, Aug 25: Judicial inquiry into the death of a ninth grade student due to alleged police torture started on Saturday after Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan took suo motu notice of the case.

The victim identified as Akhtar Ali (14) was arrested on Wednesday last when one Abdullah Shah charged him with robbery at his house. He died late on Thursday after Shergar police reportedly tortured him in custody.

The chief justice took suo motu notice of the matter after stories concerning the student’s death appeared in different newspapers.

District and session judge, Mardan, Mohammad Jamal Khan started judicial inquiry of the case on Saturday when parents of the student appeared before the court and submitted their written statement to it. They requested the court to provide them justice.

The court, however, took permission from them to exhume their son’s body. SP investigation Sirajul Hasan also appeared before the court where he was directed to submit all pieces of evidence and present both the parties before the inquiry.

Talking to this correspondent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aman Jarga chairman Syed Kamal Shah termed killing of the student by Shergar police worst example of barbarism. He alleged that police stations in Mardan district had failed to maintain law and order in the city. He said that corruption and human rights violations were rampant in these police stations.