Mir Raza JIT widens probe into business partner's dealings

A joint investigation team probing the killing of 25-year-old Karachi trader Mir Raza Ali has decided to widen its questioning of his business partner, Ahmed Bharde, and to bring the pair's financial transactions, business dealings and social media accounts into the inquiry.

The JIT's second meeting was held at the DIG West office under DIG West Irfan Baloch and ran for more than four hours, Aaj News reported. Officers of intelligence agencies and law enforcement bodies attended and reviewed different aspects of the case, and team officials obtained further information from Mir Raza's family.

Statements recorded at the meeting included those of SIO Ferozabad Shabbir Laghari, CIA police officer Ghaus Alam, investigating officer DSP Siraj Lashari, SHO Ferozabad Adil Afzal and former SHO Gulistan-e-Jauhar Kamran Qureshi, according to Aaj News. The team also recorded the statement of Ahmed Bharde and his brother and decided to keep questioning Bharde.

CPLC representatives briefed the team on their report and will assist the investigation further. The JIT ordered the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency to re-examine the case's technical aspects and file a report, and decided to summon in stages everyone who had financial or business dealings with Mir Raza. It will revisit all earlier investigation in the case and record again the statements of several members of the previous investigation team.

On the same day, Judicial Magistrate East gave the JIT ten days to complete the investigation, after investigating officer DSP Farid Khan asked for 14 days to finish and file the final challan. The officer told the court that the team's first meeting was held on 7 November and its minutes had been submitted, and that the next meeting was due the same day. The court directed the team to keep it informed of the minutes of its meetings. It also allowed live forensic examination of the electronic devices of Mir Raza and Ahmed Bharde, and ordered officials to follow the agreed protocol and report the results.

Aaj News reported that the JIT recovered Bharde's personal pistol from a North Nazimabad branch the previous day, seized the branch record and sealed the branch, and sent the pistol for forensic testing. Bharde's family said the branch has been closed since 29 July and that the seized weapon belongs to a private security guard. They said they are cooperating fully with the investigation.

Mir Raza went missing from his home in PECHS on 28 July and his body was found the next day at a deserted spot in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Police first treated the death as a possible suicide. His family rejected that account and suspected murder. After questions were raised over the first postmortem, a court allowed exhumation on 6 August; it was carried out on 8 August and the second postmortem described a bullet wound and the path it took, details the family called inconsistent with suicide. A murder section was then added to the case.

A judicial commission headed by Sindh High Court Justice Umar Sial, set up by the Sindh government on 24 August, reported on 20 October that the police investigation had been a serious failure and that Mir Raza had been murdered. The Sindh government formed the JIT under DIG Baloch on 24 October and has now issued its formal notification. No one has yet been held responsible, and the motive and any facilitators remain undetermined.