Mir Raza case: Probe team meets police surgeon to examine exhumation evidence

KARACHI: The investigation into the death of young businessman Mir Raza Ali Khan has intensified as the probe team met with Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq to examine evidence recovered during his exhumation and questions surrounding the initial post-mortem.

The meeting, chaired by investigation team head DIG Amir Farooqi, was held at his office and lasted around 90 minutes, according to investigation sources.

Dr Summaiya briefed the investigators on the evidence recovered during the exhumation and the findings of the subsequent post-mortem examination.

The team also discussed the first post-mortem and aspects that investigators believe may have been overlooked during the initial examination, sources said.

The police surgeon also briefed the team on the findings of the post-mortem and laboratory reports, sources said.

The development comes as investigators intensify scrutiny of the original handling of the case following findings from a second post-mortem that raised fresh questions about the circumstances surrounding Raza’s death.

Mir Raza, who reportedly went missing on July 28, was found dead the following day near Gulistan-e-Jauhar in Karachi.

The case was initially linked to a suicide theory, which was rejected by his family, who questioned the circumstances of his death and called for a fresh investigation.

Following the family’s objections, Raza’s body was exhumed and examined by a medical board headed by Dr Summaiya.

The subsequent examination reportedly found multiple injuries and a gunshot wound from the rear, prompting renewed questions about the circumstances of his death and the initial investigation.

Investigators have also been examining forensic evidence collected during the fresh probe. According to investigation sources, chemical analysis of Raza’s shirt detected traces of hydrochloric acid and gunshot residue, while his blood sample reportedly contained components of a sedative or anaesthetic substance.

First post-mortem doctor questioned

As part of the renewed investigation, the probe team questioned Dr Osama, who conducted Raza’s first post-mortem, two days before its meeting with Dr Summaiya.

According to investigation sources, Dr Osama was questioned for around four hours. Investigators also took his mobile phone into custody as part of the probe.

The questioning comes as investigators examine whether any important evidence or indicators were missed during the initial medical examination.

The new investigation team was constituted after the second post-mortem raised concerns about the earlier handling of the case.

The team formally initiated proceedings following the fresh examination and the emergence of evidence that appeared inconsistent with the initial narrative surrounding Raza’s death.

The fresh probe follows sustained pressure from Raza’s family, which has raised questions about the earlier investigation.

Lawyer Jibran Nasir, representing the family, recently wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, seeking direct oversight of the investigation and action over alleged lapses by officials.

The investigation team has also inspected the location where Raza’s body was recovered and questioned people connected with the discovery as it seeks to establish the sequence of events leading to his death.

The latest meeting with Dr Summaiya, along with the earlier questioning of the doctor who conducted the first post-mortem, indicated that investigators are closely examining the medical and forensic evidence to establish how Mir Raza died and whether crucial evidence was overlooked during the initial investigation.