The death of Karachi businessman Mir Raza Ali has taken a major turn after police added murder charges to the case following a second post-mortem examination.
The case was initially registered as a kidnapping case. However, serious questions surrounding Raza’s death emerged after his body was exhumed and examined by an eight-member medical board.
The second post-mortem documented multiple injuries, including a gunshot wound. According to the report, a bullet entered Raza’s body from the back and travelled through his chest.
The firearm entry wound measured approximately 0.8 centimetres. The medical board also identified an exit wound on the chest, indicating that the bullet passed through the body.
Blackening was observed around the bullet entry point. The examination also found two round wounds on the heart, along with blackened areas on the muscles behind the heart.
The gunshot injury was not the only significant finding. The medical board documented a deep wound on the right side of Raza’s skull, along with multiple skull fractures and clotted blood around the injured areas.
A fracture was also found in Raza’s right hip bone. Four teeth in the upper jaw had been damaged, while his sixth right rib was fractured and broken into several pieces.
Additional injuries were recorded on his feet, forehead, and beneath his jaw. The medical board concluded that the injuries occurred before death and found evidence of bleeding.
The report also stated that the gunshot wound to Raza’s back resulted in blood accumulating in his lungs. These findings have intensified questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
The medical board collected 17 samples for chemical and forensic examination. The laboratory results could provide important evidence about what happened before Raza died.
The final forensic analysis is still awaited. This is particularly important because the second examination was conducted around 12 days after Raza’s death, when the body had already entered an advanced stage of decomposition.
The second post-mortem was ordered after Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed raised 14 objections to the original examination conducted on July 29.
Her concerns reportedly included the absence of an X-ray, failure to collect hand swabs for gunshot-residue testing, and inadequate examination of the firearm injuries.
Questions were also raised over the failure to collect DNA samples despite concerns about the condition of Raza’s face. The documentation and forensic photography of the injuries were also questioned.
These concerns ultimately led to the exhumation and second post-mortem examination. The new findings have now become a central part of the investigation.
Lawyer Jibran Nasir, who represents Raza’s family, has also strongly rejected the suggestion that Raza died by suicide. He has described the findings as evidence of violence and demanded justice for the family.
The police decision to add murder charges marks a significant development in the case. Investigators will now have to examine the forensic findings, laboratory results, and other evidence to establish how Raza died.
The final forensic reports are expected to play an important role in determining the circumstances of his death and the next legal steps in the case.
Also read: Mir Raza Ali Exhumation Reveals Major Forensic Findings
