Shocking new details have emerged in the death of an 18-year-old youth in the custody of Karachi’s CIA Special Investigation Unit (SIU), with evidence pointing to severe torture before his death.

Police sources revealed that the young man, identified as Mohammad Irfan, actually died in police custody on Wednesday, shortly after being detained in the morning.

His body was shifted to Jinnah Hospital later that evening.

When the body first arrived at the hospital, the on-duty medico-legal officer reportedly refused to conduct the post-mortem, forcing police to take the body back.

The following day, officers made another attempt, and a medical board performed the autopsy on Friday under the supervision of a judicial magistrate.

According to police surgeon Dr Samia Tariq, multiple injury marks were found on Irfan’s body, including bruises on the head, face, back, and sensitive areas, indicating severe physical assault.

Police sources said the body was over 36 hours old at the time of the post-mortem, suggesting delays in reporting the death.

The exact cause of death will be determined after the chemical examination report is finalised.

Relatives said Irfan hailed from a flood-affected area of the Bahawalpur district and had come to Karachi for work. They alleged that SIU personnel tortured him to death while in custody.

Following the incident, Irfan’s family and supporters staged a protest near Sohrab Goth Edhi Centre, placing the body on the road and blocking traffic towards Shafiq Mor.

A friend of the deceased, Salman, who was also detained, told reporters that police picked them up from Ayesha Manzil and subjected them to brutal torture.

After negotiations with police officials, the protesters eventually ended their sit-in and traffic was restored.

Authorities have so far suspended seven police officials involved in the case. However, the victim’s family has rejected the move as insufficient, demanding murder charges and arrests of the officers responsible.