Teenage boy allegedly dragged out of class and tortured to death by Pakistani police

In a horrific incident, a Grade VIII boy died after allegedly being tortured by the police just outside a private tutorial centre where he was attending classes on Monday (9 October). The incident took place in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Arsalan Mushtaq was at the Ideal Science Academy when police officers from the Bahu Chowk police post arrived and allegedly dragged him out of his classroom. It is not yet clear why he was beaten to death by the police.

The boy's father Mushtaq Masih lodged a complaint against police officers Imtiaz, Arshad, Robin and police driver Rashid. An unidentified man and another police official were also said to be involved in the incident.

According to the Dawn news website, a man named Sardar Billu who came with the officials, helped them identify the boy.

The officers then dragged the boy out and started beating him. When Farhan Ali, a teacher at the academy, tried to stop the officers, the officials reportedly shoved him aside and kept beating the boy.

Police driver Rashid struck the boy's head with a pistol after which he began to bleed. The police later put Arsalan into their van, where he collapsed and died. They then apparently threw the boy's body on the roadside and fled the scene, the Dawn reported.

District Police Officer Sarfraz Virk said a case has been registered against the accused officers.

Earlier, in July, a 14-year-old boy was allegedly tortured to death for stealing a goat in Punjab province of Pakistan. The incident triggered a protest by the boy's family, who placed his body on the road when police did not register a murder case against the suspects, the Dawn had then reported.