Shopkeeper falls victim to police brutality

DROSH: A young man has been hospitalized with multiple injuries after allegedly being beaten up by police officials in the police station of Drosh.

Iqbal Shaheen, a resident of Jinjiret, told ChitralToday correspondent on phone from his hospital bed that runs a shop in Drosh and a few days ago had an altercation with a beggar that led to a scuffle drawing onlookers including two policemen to the spot. Shaheen claimed that when he threw his shoe at the beggar it hit one of the policemen.  

The police officials got angry and asked him to accompany them to the police station, but he avoided going with the police. Later, he received a call from the police station asking him to reach there. Shaheen said as soon as he entered the premises, four to five police men attacked and beat him up. He said he sustained injuries to his head and other parts of the body. After initial treatment in Drosh, the injured was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Chitral.

Local people condemned the police highhandedness and demanded an inquiry and action against those involved in attacking the shopkeeper. They said if the shopkeeper had done something wrong police should have proceeded against him in accordance with the law rather than beating and injuring him. 

The locals called upon the higher authorities of the police to initiate legal action against the  officials for misusing their authority.