Mir Raza probe finds first autopsy officer's motives tainted

KARACHI: The judicial commission investigating the death of businessman Mir Raza Ali has observed that the motives of the medico-legal officer who conducted the first autopsy "appear tainted", Daily Times reported.

Mir Raza Ali, 25, was found dead in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar on July 29, a day after he went missing, according to the newspaper. The commission is examining the circumstances of his death and possible negligence in the murder case.

During a hearing, the commission questioned ASP Nida Junaid about her role in the investigation and her presence at several key locations, ARY News reported. The commission told her that she had neither recovered the victim's phone nor had it in her custody, adding that she should feel shame over the situation.

The commission recorded statements of five witnesses, with Sarim Sahir's statement among the most significant. Sahir told the commission that Mir Raza had demanded Rs30 million from him and expressed concerns about Mir Raza's business dealings.

ASP Nida Junaid, who is not a formal member of the investigation team, said she was included when women had to be questioned. Asked whether she knew about a message sent by Mir Raza to Sarim, she said she did not know how or through whom the screenshot of the message reached the media.

The commission asked whether SSP Samiullah Soomro's team was investigating the case as suicide or murder. Nida Junaid said it was her personal opinion that the team had not reached any final conclusion, which was why the case was transferred. She said the team was only collecting preliminary evidence at that stage.

Asked about her contact with Sarim, she said she had gone to him only to provide assistance as a female police officer. The commission also asked whether she had questioned anyone about a woman named Ambreen and who the "mysterious Ambreen" was.

Nida Junaid said SSP Samiullah Soomro had given her three names. The commission observed that this meant the team had not declared the case a suicide at that stage. She said the first name given to her was Sheiza, with a phone number that actually belonged to Mir Raza's mother. The second name was Maryam, with a number that belonged to a man. The third name, Ambreen, was also formally given to her for investigation.

The commission's observations about the first autopsy come from Daily Times, which reported that the motives of MLO Dr Osama Sheikh "appear tainted".