“Heart attack” claim falls apart: Autopsy finds Karachi teen tortured in SIU custody

KARACHI: A 15-year-old boy, identified as Irfan, who died while in the custody of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) police in Karachi, was found to have multiple injury marks on his body, according to the initial postmortem report. The findings contradict the police’s earlier claim that the teenager died of a heart attack.

Dr. Samia Tariq, the police surgeon overseeing the autopsy, confirmed that Irfan’s body bore signs of severe torture at several places. She added that samples from various organs had been preserved for chemical examination to determine the exact cause of death. “The final cause of death will be established after the chemical analysis report,” she said.

As per police and hospital sources, Irfan was taken into custody on Wednesday morning from the Aysha Manzil area, reportedly while filming a TikTok video with friends. By 7 p.m. the same evening, his body was brought to Jinnah Hospital, more than 36 hours before the post-mortem was finally conducted.

Initially, police officials tried to carry out the post-mortem at night, but medical officers refused, insisting that it must be done under a magistrate’s supervision. The examination was eventually completed on Friday morning under a medical board and a magistrate’s oversight.

Doctors confirmed at least seven major injury marks on Irfan’s body, including head wounds, facial bruises, and trauma to the lower back and sensitive areas. Samples from various organs have been preserved for chemical testing to determine the exact cause of death.

Despite these findings, no FIR has been registered so far. Three SIU sub-inspectors have been suspended, but none have been arrested.

Police officials say Irfan and several other young men were detained for questioning in connection with an unspecified case, though no further details have been disclosed.

Irfan, a resident of Bahawalpur who had come to Karachi for work, was reportedly picked up by SIU personnel near Ayesha Manzil along with several other youngsters while recording TikTok videos. The case for which he was detained remains undisclosed.

Karachi SIU officials initially maintained that Irfan’s death resulted from cardiac arrest while in custody. However, the autopsy report’s findings have cast serious doubt on that version.

Following the incident, Irfan’s family staged a protest at the Shafiq Mor area of Karachi, blocking traffic for several hours. The demonstration ended only after successful negotiations with senior police officials, who assured the family of a transparent inquiry.

The Sindh Police later suspended three sub-inspectors allegedly involved in the detention, but no arrests have been made so far. The authorities have also not filed any FIR against the responsible officials.

Sindh’s Additional Inspector General (AIG) has appointed SSP Korangi Tariq Nawaz as the inquiry officer to investigate the circumstances surrounding Irfan’s death and the role of the SIU officials.