Father blames shopkeepers for son’s suicide

BOONI: A resident of Greemlasht has approached the district police officer of Upper Chitral seeking legal action against some shopkeepers of his village who he alleged harassed his son after accusing him of theft causing mental distress to the boy that let him to commit suicide.

Retired Subedar Ziaul Haq, son of Rehmat Khan, in his application to the DPO mentioned the names of six persons from Reshun, Zait and Mroi who are shopkeepers in bazar Raghen of Reshun.

“On January 21, 2023, these shopkeepers caught my innocent son, aged 13 to 14 years, accused him of theft and manhandled him. Later, they handed my son to the incharge of the police picket of Greemlasht,” the application said.

The police detained the boy, Tanveer Zia, illegally at the police post and caused him mental distress. This led to my son to commit suicide by jumping into the river from a bridge at Parpish on January 23, the father said.

Mr Zia requested the DPO to initiate legal action against the police and the shopkeepers for levelling allegation of theft against his son and then mentally torturing him that led him to commit suicide.