KARACHI: Police are investigating the abduction and murder of 25-year-old businessman Mir Ali Raza, whose body was found in Gulistan-e-Jauhar after he left home saying he would return within 10 minutes.
According to the first information report (FIR) lodged by his father at Ferozabad police station, Meer returned home in his own car from his shop at Bahadurabad Chowrangi before leaving again in the early hours. His family has said they had no enmity with anyone, while police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his killing.
What happened?
According to the FIR, Raza — an IBA graduate — returned home from his shop on the night of July 28 before leaving again, telling his family he would be back within 10 minutes.
CCTV footage that has surfaced shows a white vehicle arriving outside his house at about 4:09am. The footage shows Raza getting into the rear seat of the vehicle before it drove away.
Police later recovered his body from bushes in Block 1 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
What have police found so far?
According to police, Raza was tortured before being fatally shot once in the chest.
Initial rumours suggesting acid had been thrown on the victim were later ruled out by doctors. Police said the body’s condition resulted from advanced decomposition, with officials estimating it had been lying there for more than 30 hours before being recovered.
Where did he go before his death?
Police investigations found that Raza had booked an online taxi after leaving home and travelled to the kitchen used for his dessert bar and restaurant in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Investigators questioned the taxi driver, who confirmed that Raza had reached the kitchen. Police believe whatever happened afterwards — including the alleged kidnapping and subsequent murder — occurred after he left the premises.
The kitchen was located in a residential-style area rather than a commercial zone.
What clues are investigators pursuing?
Police have not yet recovered Raza’s mobile phone and are seeking technical assistance from the relevant telecom company to obtain his call data record (CDR) and other data.
Investigators are also examining the numbers with which he had recently been in contact.
Raza’s social media accounts were deactivated several hours before his body was found. Police are investigating whether he deactivated them himself or whether someone else accessed his accounts using his phone.
Have any suspects been identified?
Police have identified several individuals and are questioning them, but no major breakthrough has been made.
Statements have been recorded from employees working at the kitchen that night as well as staff at Meer’s two restaurants. Certain suspicions had emerged during questioning, but investigators were withholding details because the investigation was ongoing.
Why is the investigation proving difficult?
Police are reviewing CCTV footage from streets, neighbourhoods and nearby shops to reconstruct Meer’s movements.
However, investigators are relying largely on privately installed cameras because there is no citywide Safe City surveillance system covering the area. Many of the available cameras provide poor-quality footage, making the investigation more difficult.
Police are continuing the investigation through both technical analysis and human intelligence while withholding certain information to avoid compromising the case or alerting those responsible.
Marriage plans
Speaking to Geo News, Mir Raza Ali, the father of the deceased, said that his son had left home on July 28 for some work.
He said the family lodged a missing person’s report at the police station the same day after his son’s mobile phone became unreachable.
The grieving father said the family later obtained his son’s last location through an online taxi service and rushed to the spot, where Gulistan-e-Jauhar police officials also arrived.
According to him, police informed the family that an unidentified body had been recovered earlier that morning.
“The body was beyond recognition, but the clothes were my son’s,” he said.
Ali added that his son was due to get married on August 30 and was eagerly looking forward to the wedding.
“He never shared any business-related problems or financial difficulties with us,” the father said.
