The Sindh government has decided to order a judicial inquiry into the killing of 25-year-old businessman Mir Raza Ali, as investigators examine new forensic evidence, including reports of acid traces on his shirt.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has said that the inquiry would be conducted under the leadership of a Sindh High Court judge, with the commission to be constituted on the recommendation of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
The development comes as a newly constituted five-member investigation committee is due to hold its first meeting on Monday. The team, headed by Deputy Inspector General (Crime and Investigation) Amir Farooqui, will examine the case from all relevant angles, including the murder allegation.
Investigative sources have said that forensic examination of Ali’s shirt indicated that acid had been thrown on his hands and face, allegedly to obscure his identity. Part of the shirt around the chest was also reportedly burnt and torn.
Sources said on Monday that evidence of acid had also been found in Ali’s stomach, while severe acid-related damage was detected in his lungs. Traces of acid were reportedly found on his hands and feet, while his shirt also carried traces of acid and another person’s sweat.
The shirt was sent for forensic examination, but testing at Karachi University has not yet been conducted, while analysis of ballistic sparks on the garment remains pending.
Sources said that samples collected during the first post-mortem were also sent to Karachi University and the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory, but their reports have yet to be prepared.
The latest findings follow a second post-mortem examination conducted after Ali’s body was exhumed. The preliminary medical report found that he had been shot from the back and bore signs of physical assault.
The report also indicated fractures to Ali’s right thigh and jaw, while blood staining was found on tissues in the lower part of his body. Multiple injury marks were also identified on his head and face, while his ribs were found to be fractured.
Meanwhile, police have sealed a guesthouse near the scene after deeming it suspicious and detained six people working there, sources said. Statements of the detained individuals have also been recorded. The arrests brought the total number of people detained in connection with the case to 21, including Ali’s friends and business partners.
Police have replaced the previous investigation team. Karachi Additional Inspector General Azad Khan transferred the case from Ferozabad Police Station to Zaman Town Police Station and appointed Inspector Chaudhry Ghazanfar Ali as investigating officer.
Khan also suspended Sharea Faisal Sub-Divisional Police Officer Muhammad Arshad Afridi and Gulistan-i-Jauhar Station House Officer Kamran Qureshi for allegedly failing to preserve the crime scene and conduct a proper investigation. Qureshi was also reverted to a lower rank.
Ali, an Institute of Business Administration graduate and owner of Wafflix, went missing on July 28. His body was found the following day in bushes near Shahi Qila Ground in Gulistan-i-Jauhar with a gunshot wound.
His family has alleged that he was kidnapped, tortured and murdered. Police initially considered suicide as a possibility, but murder charges were added following the second post-mortem.
Sindh Assembly Home Affairs Committee chairperson Faryal Talpur had called for a judicial commission, while family lawyer Jibran Nasir had demanded a new investigation team.
