- Dr Osama removed from his post as medico-legal officer.
- Inquiry finds loopholes in Mir Raza’s post-mortem report.
- Mir Raza’s father sees probe moving in right direction.
Dr Osama, a medico-legal officer, who conducted the initial post-mortem examination of young businessman Mir Raza Ali, has been removed from his post over serious medico-legal lapses, authorities said on Wednesday.
The doctor was removed from his post as a medico-legal officer after an inquiry found serious mistakes in the post-mortem examination of the businessman.
The officials said that Dr Osama would appear before the relevant authorities for an inquiry into the matter.
A controversy had emerged between the Karachi police surgeon and investigators over alleged loopholes in the medico-legal report regarding the post-mortem examination of Ali.
Following the controversy, the man’s father moved a local Karachi court seeking fresh medical examination of the body of his son. Jibran Nasir, the counsel of Mir Raza’s family, told the court: “No X-ray was done; the cause of the death has not been determined.”
The local court last week allowed the exhumation of the young businessman at his father’s request.
A new autopsy conducted following the exhumation of the body of the young businessman on Saturday found that he had been shot in the back. The report found two gunshot holes in the shirt, one on the back and a larger one on the front.
As per the medical report, marks of violence were also found on Ali’s body. The report read that black marks were also found on his body, while injury marks were present on his feet. Blood stains were found on tissues in the lower part of his body.
A fracture and injury measuring approximately 12 centimetres in length were identified on Ali’s right thigh, according to the report. The report also found evidence of a deep injury and fracture in the jaw area.
Chemical examination report
A chemical examination report in the murder case of Ali, a day earlier, found acid particles on his shirt and evidence of torture, according to a copy obtained by Geo News.
According to the chemical examination report, efforts were made to conceal Mir Raza’s identity. It also stated that no fingerprints were present on the victim’s hands.
The report said chemical examination of the shirt found particles of acid, while elements associated with gunshot residue were also detected.
Nasir, during a presser in Karachi along with Mir Raza’s family, said the deceased man’s CCTV footage emerged on July 28, after which his body was found the following day.
Nasir had said Raza’s face had not deteriorated due to decomposition but had been damaged by acid burns. He said the body was between 20 and 22 hours old, which meant Raza may have remained in someone’s captivity for up to 12 hours.
Nasir had said Mir Raza’s smartwatch was taken from the family on the third day of the funeral rites. He had alleged that the SHO had kept moving around with the guesthouse’s DVR. He had added that the mobile phone had been sent to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
Nasir had said SSP Investigation Usman Sadozai also been sent to Kashmir. He had claimed the killers knew where cameras had not been installed. Nasir had added that Raza’s mobile phone may have been hacked.
The lawyer had said bottles of acid had been found near the Water Board office and that the family had informed police about them. Nasir said the family had repeatedly asked police officials to record the statements of Raza’s family members.
Father sees probe moving in right direction
Speaking to reporters, the lawyer had said the family assisted investigators in identifying key locations linked to the case and was extending full cooperation to the new probe team.
He had said Ali’s parents were prepared to answer any questions put to them by investigators and were awaiting the results of forensic examinations, including reports based on samples obtained during the post-mortem and after the exhumation.
The counsel had said the family had repeatedly attempted to gather information from the area in the days following the incident but had received little assistance.
He had added that the family had itself identified several locations of interest and shared them with investigators during the visit.
Mir Hussain, the deceased’s father, had said it was the first time in nearly two weeks that he felt the investigation was moving in the right direction.
He had expressed confidence in the newly-constituted probe team and said the family hoped the investigation would reach its logical conclusion.
Hussain had said the family had already provided police with information regarding three suspicious individuals and remained committed to pursuing all legal avenues to establish the facts surrounding his son’s death.
He had also said the previous investigation team had not shared its findings with the family.
Investigation failures
Fresh revelations emerged about serious lapses in the initial investigation.
Investigative authorities confirmed that geofencing of the crime scene had not been conducted despite several days passing since the incident, and that Mir Raza’s mobile data record had not been obtained. Forensic examination of his smartwatch had also not been carried out.
The new investigation team said geofencing would be conducted on Tuesday and that mobile data record details were being obtained.
Details of a suspected guesthouse had also been collected, and the new team had contacted the NCCIA, with a formal application to be submitted to the agency to determine whether Mir Raza had faced any threats prior to his death.
