Summary
- The Sindh government has constituted a third medical board to carry out the exhumation and medico-legal examination of 25-year-old businessman Mir Ali Raza’s body, following controversy over the findings of his initial post-mortem report.
- Other members of the board include forensic expert Dr Farah Waseem from Jinnah Sindh Medical University, forensic identification expert Amir Hassan Khan, Additional Police Surgeon Dr Srichand, and medico-legal officers from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), including Dr Kamran Khan and Dr Daniyal Mirza.
- The latest medical board is expected to examine the remains and provide further forensic findings that may help clarify the circumstances surrounding Mir Ali Raza’s death.
The Sindh government has constituted a third medical board to carry out the exhumation and medico-legal examination of 25-year-old businessman Mir Ali Raza’s body, following controversy over the findings of his initial post-mortem report.
The new eight-member medical board was notified by the Sindh Health Department on Friday after two earlier notifications were withdrawn. The exhumation, which was initially scheduled for Friday, was postponed after the deceased’s family raised objections over the sudden changes in the medical board.
According to the latest notification, Police Surgeon Dr Sumaiyya Syed has been appointed as the convener of the board, while Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Pathology Department Head Professor Dr Naseem Ahmed will serve as the pathologist.
Other members of the board include forensic expert Dr Farah Waseem from Jinnah Sindh Medical University, forensic identification expert Amir Hassan Khan, Additional Police Surgeon Dr Srichand, and medico-legal officers from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), including Dr Kamran Khan and Dr Daniyal Mirza. The board has also been authorized to include additional experts if required.
The exhumation has been scheduled for Saturday, August 8, at 11am, according to the Office of the Police Surgeon. A civil judge and judicial magistrate Karachi-XXI will also be present during the procedure.
The decision to exhume Mir Ali Raza’s body came after his father approached the court seeking further investigation. A Karachi court allowed the exhumation and directed authorities to form a medico-legal board to examine the circumstances surrounding his death.
The case gained attention after concerns were raised regarding possible inconsistencies in the original autopsy report. Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Sumaiyya Syed had pointed out that certain observations in the post-mortem report appeared inconsistent with available photographs, including questions regarding the bullet entry and exit wounds.
She stated that the reported bullet trajectory and wounds required further examination and noted that gunshot residue testing, which can be relevant in suspected suicide cases, had not been conducted.
Police officials responded by saying that such comments could affect the ongoing investigation but acknowledged that exhumation could provide further clarification through a committee of medical experts with court approval.
Mir Ali Raza, the owner of food outlet Wafflix, went missing on July 28. His body was discovered the following day near Shahi Qila Ground in Gulistan-e-Jauhar with a gunshot wound. Initially, a kidnapping case was registered at Ferozabad Police Station on his father’s complaint.
Police said their investigation indicated that Ali had been facing financial difficulties and had contacted friends for financial assistance before his death. Investigators said he left his home in PECHS Block-2 and traveled by a ride-hailing taxi, which dropped him near the location where his body was later found.
The latest medical board is expected to examine the remains and provide further forensic findings that may help clarify the circumstances surrounding Mir Ali Raza’s death.
