Mir Raza death case: Police form new probe team, add murder charge

The mysterious death of young Karachi businessman Mir Raza Ali has taken a significant turn, with Sindh Police forming a new five-member investigation team and adding a murder charge to the case following preliminary findings from his second post-mortem, Aaj News reported on Sunday.

A formal notification has been issued for the formation of the new team, which will be headed by DIG Crime and Investigation Amir Farooqi.

The team includes SSP Rapid Response Force (RRF) Syed Ali Raza, SP Investigation Korangi Qais Khan, SP Investigation Central Anam Taimoor and Zaman Town Station Investigation Officer Inspector Chaudhry Ghazanfar.

The new team has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive and impartial investigation into all aspects of Mir Raza’s death. It has also been directed to collect and preserve evidence and conduct a fresh analysis of forensic evidence.

Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho has directed the team to brief senior authorities on the progress of the investigation on a daily basis. The team has also been instructed to complete the investigation and submit its report to the court within the stipulated timeframe.

Murder charge added

A case was initially registered at Ferozabad police station under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to kidnapping. Police have now added Section 302, pertaining to murder, to the FIR.

Police officials said the murder charge was incorporated in light of the exhumation and preliminary findings of the second post-mortem.

Earlier, a three-member high-level investigation team headed by SSP Special Investigation Unit Samiullah Soomro had been constituted to conduct the initial probe. SSP East Zubair Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and SSP Investigation Usman Sadozai were also members of that team.

The development came a day after Mir Raza’s family and their lawyer Jibran demanded that the existing investigation team be replaced following the emergence of the second post-mortem report.

Second post-mortem reveals injuries

An eight-member medical board conducted the exhumation of Mir Raza’s body at the PECHS Society graveyard on Saturday and carried out a second examination. The board also collected evidence and samples for chemical analysis.

The medical board, headed by Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq, reported multiple signs of violence on Mir Raza’s body, including fractures to the skull, teeth and ribs.

The report also established that Mir Raza had sustained a gunshot wound from the rear, supporting the family’s claim that the circumstances of his death were inconsistent with suicide.

The preliminary report identified several other injuries, including blackened marks on the body, wounds on the foot, a deep injury beneath the jaw and injuries to the forehead.

Several ribs were found fractured, while the injuries were classified as ante-mortem, meaning they occurred before death.

The report stated that a gunshot wound to the back had caused blood to accumulate in the lungs. The entry wound measured 0.8 centimetres, with blackened marks around it, while an exit wound was also identified.

The right sixth rib was found fractured into several pieces, while two rounded wounds were observed on the heart. A deep injury was found on the right side of the skull, along with fractures in different parts of the skull and accumulated blood.

The front portion of the nasal bone was fractured on the left side, while four upper-jaw teeth were affected. A 12-centimetre fracture was also found in the right hip bone, according to the preliminary report.

The medical board collected 17 samples from the body, while two reference samples were obtained from Mir Raza’s parents. The samples are scheduled to be submitted to the forensic laboratory at the University of Karachi for analysis.

The final findings will depend on chemical analysis and DNA reports, which are expected within three to four days.

Family demands impartial probe

Mir Raza’s family and lawyer had called for the existing investigation team to be replaced, demanding a comprehensive and impartial probe into his death.

They had also demanded that the AIG Karachi be kept away from the investigation and transferred out of Karachi.

Mir Raza’s father, Mir Hussain, had expressed a lack of confidence in the existing investigation team, saying the family would accept a new team constituted by the Sindh IGP or chief minister.

He said police had continued discussing suicide with the family, whereas they had maintained from the outset that Mir Raza had been murdered and that those responsible should be identified and brought to justice.

The family also complained that they were not being kept informed about the progress of the investigation and warned that they would approach the courts if the investigation team was not changed.

Background

Mir Raza Ali had gone missing from Karachi’s Ferozabad area and his body was recovered from Gulistan-e-Johar on July 29.

The initial medical report had attributed his death to a gunshot wound. However, his family expressed dissatisfaction with the report after observing alleged signs of violence and burns on the body.

The latest preliminary findings have intensified suspicions surrounding Mir Raza’s death, although the final cause and circumstances will only be established after the chemical, DNA and other forensic analyses are completed.