KARACHI: The judicial commission investigating the death of young businessman Mir Raza Ali has summoned his business partners, friends, the cab driver who dropped him off and two police officers for the next hearing.
Sindh High Court Justice Omar Sial, who is heading the one-member commission, issued notices to Mir Raza’s business partners Ahmed and Abdullah, his friends Haitham and Raziq, cab driver Ahsanullah, SDPO Shahrah-e-Faisal Arshad Afridi and SHO Firozabad Adeel Afzal.
They have been directed to appear before the commission on September 3.
Mir Raza Ali, an IBA graduate and young businessman, was found dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area on July 29, a day after he was reported missing. His father has consistently maintained that his son was murdered and rejected suggestions that he died by suicide.
An autopsy found that Mir Raza had been shot in the back, while medical findings also showed marks of violence on his body, injuries to his feet and evidence of a deep injury and fracture in the jaw area.
Commission questions changes in postmortem reports
During Tuesday’s hearing, medico-legal officer Osama Sheikh, who conducted Mir Raza’s initial autopsy, denied ever discussing suicide.
He told the commission that the final postmortem report was issued on August 11 following the exhumation of Mir Raza’s body.
According to Dr Osama, the final report was prepared after reviewing chemical analysis reports obtained after the exhumation.
The commission noted differences between the initial and final reports, including differences in handwriting.
“What suddenly happened that the report changed?” the commission questioned, asking whether Dr Osama had prepared both reports and whether a forensic examination was required.
Dr Osama told the commission that he had not faced pressure from anyone. He said all relevant matters had been shared with Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya, who did not raise any objection.
He also said DIG East Farrukh Lanjhar had called him to the Chief Minister House, where SSP Samiullah Somroo was also present, and asked him to provide a timeline.
Police official says no fingerprints detected
Police official Muhammad Arif, who operates the Talaash APP device, also appeared before the commission.
Arif said he saw Mir Raza’s body lying inside an ambulance but that no fingerprints were detected by the device.
“I saw the body in the ambulance, but no fingerprints appeared on the device,” he said.
According to Arif, it appeared that an attempt had been made to erase the fingerprints.
He told the commission that the colour of the fingers on Mir Raza’s right hand was changing, while the fingers on his left hand had completely decomposed.
Mir Raza case: Final postmortem rules out suicide, confirms gunshot death
Arif said he sent photographs of the body to the SHO and head constable after observing its condition.
The commission questioned why the head constable was handling photographs and matters related to the investigation.
When asked what he had observed on the body, Arif said there were visible marks.
The commission noted that nursery staff, rescue workers and police officials had also seen the marks.
“If everyone could see the marks, but Dr Osama could not, then…” the commission remarked.
The commission further observed that the routine postmortem appeared to have been conducted by a sweeper, with the report later signed by the doctor.
The proceedings were adjourned until September 3.
Jibran Nasir questions MLO’s appearance at CM House
Speaking to the media after the hearing, Advocate Jibran Nasir, counsel for Mir Raza’s family, said the proceedings were confirming several concerns the family had raised since the beginning of the case.
“Everything we have been saying since day one is now coming to light,” Nasir said, adding that the situation would become clearer when Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya appears before the commission.
Nasir said he had written to the chief minister, informing him that the medico-legal officer had been stopped at his office.
He questioned whether an MLO’s statement had ever previously been recorded at the chief minister’s office in a case initially being treated as suicide.
The lawyer also questioned why Additional Inspector General Azad Khan had summoned officials to the Chief Minister House on August 9.
Nasir further alleged that the head clerk had been handling matters even at the location where Mir Raza’s body was found.
“We have not even been given copies of the statements,” he said, adding that no action had so far been taken against the police officials involved.
The judicial commission will resume proceedings on September 3, when the newly summoned witnesses are expected to appear.
