Acid traces, GSR found on Mir Raza’s shirt: sources

KARACHI: The chemical examination of the shirt worn by young businessman Mir Raza Ali has been completed, with investigators finding traces of hydrochloric acid on the garment.

According to investigation sources, police have received the chemical analysis report.

Sources close to the investigation said that the examination also detected components of a sedative or anaesthetic substance in Mir Raza’s blood sample.

The analysis further found gunshot residue (GSR) on the portion of the shirt around the waist, investigation sources claimed.

According to the sources, the comparatively higher concentration of GSR around the waist indicates that the bullet struck Raza from the rear side.

The shirt had been sent to a laboratory for chemical examination a few days ago, the sources said.

The latest findings are expected to become part of the fresh investigation into Raza’s death, which has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the case.

The DNA test results in the Mir Raza case have confirmed that the body recovered from Gulistan-e-Jauhar was that of the young businessman, according to investigation sources.

Sources said that DNA samples obtained from the body matched samples provided by Mir Raza Ali’s parents, establishing the identity of the deceased.

The DNA identification process was completed at the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Department, where samples from the body were analysed and compared with those of his parents.

According to investigators, the DNA match has removed doubts surrounding the identity of the body recovered from Gulistan-e-Johar.

Earlier, a newly constituted investigation team visited the location near Gulistan-e-Jauhar where Raza’s body was recovered.

SSP Ali Raza, a member of the team, inspected the site along with members of Raza’s family and reviewed the surrounding area. He also questioned Yasir, a nursery worker who first identified the body, and other nursery staff about the circumstances surrounding the discovery.

The team also examined the spot where the body was found, while SSP Ali Raza photographed the location as part of the investigation.

Raza’s family welcomed the formation of the new investigation team on August 10, expressing hope that the fresh probe would establish the circumstances surrounding his death and help ensure justice.

Lawyer Jibran Nasir, after meeting the newly constituted team, said the family had provided investigators with information about suspected individuals and identified areas requiring further investigation.

Questions over forensic evidence

Nasir had also raised concerns over the handling of forensic evidence, particularly DNA and other samples that he said had been handed over by the previous investigation officer but apparently did not reach the laboratory.

He said officials responsible for handling the evidence would have to explain the delay and warned that serious consequences could follow if negligence in preserving or transferring the material was established.

Nasir welcomed the formation of the new team, saying the family viewed it as an indication that authorities were now prepared to investigate the matter as a possible murder rather than maintain the earlier suicide theory.

The family had previously rejected the initial explanation linking Raza’s death to financial losses, debt and monetary disputes.

Family wants fresh probe

Nasir said the family was not currently seeking a judicial commission and maintained that the police had the legal responsibility to investigate the case.

He said the family had communicated its position to the chief justice of the Sindh High Court but wanted to give the new investigation team an opportunity to conduct a fresh probe.

According to Nasir, the family would approach the court if the investigation failed to make meaningful progress.

Murder theory gains prominence

Raza reportedly went missing on July 28 after leaving his home, and his body was recovered the following day near Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

The case was initially associated with a suicide theory, with an alleged audio recording surfacing in connection with money reportedly owed. Raza’s family rejected that explanation and raised questions over the circumstances of his death.

Following the family’s objections, a court ordered the exhumation of Raza’s body from the Tariq Road graveyard under the supervision of a medical board.

A subsequent post-mortem examination found that Raza had sustained a gunshot wound from behind, along with signs of injuries on his body. The findings prompted renewed questions over the initial investigation and strengthened the family’s demand for a murder probe.

Raza’s father, Mir Hussain, had said the family was “satisfied to some extent” with the progress of the investigation and had provided the new team with its complete position.

The family has opted to allow the fresh police investigation to proceed while retaining the option of approaching the courts if the probe fails to produce satisfactory results.