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Two more officers have been added to the investigation team probing the death of Karachi businessman Mir Raza, bringing the total number of team members to nine, sources said on Friday.
According to sources, DSP Hanif Khan and Inspector Ghulam Nabi Afridi have joined the team.
Afridi was added by the newly formed investigation team, while Khan was included on the recommendation of Mir Raza’s family and lawyer, sources said.
Khan is considered an expert in geofencing, which could assist investigators in tracing the movements of people and devices linked to the case.
The latest additions come three days after two other officers, DSP Sirajuddin and Inspector Muhammad Ali, were added to the probe on August 11. Their inclusion had increased the team’s strength to seven.
Following Mir Raza’s exhumation, a five-member committee was initially formed to investigate the case.
DIG Aamir Farooqi was appointed its head, while SSP RRFL Ali Raza served as secretary. SP Investigation Korangi Qais Khan, SP Investigation Central Anum Tajammul and SIO Zaman Town Chaudhry Ghazanfar were among its members.
Mir Raza Ali went missing from Karachi’s PECHS area on July 28. He had left home at 4:09am in an online taxi. His body was recovered two days later outside a guest house in Gulistan-e-Johar.
Police said the body was found in a severely injured condition with a gunshot wound to the chest. His social media accounts had also been deactivated a day before his body was recovered.
Following his exhumation on August 8, an initial medical examination found multiple signs of injuries and alleged torture on his body.
The medical report found a smaller gunshot wound on the back and a larger wound on the front, suggesting that the bullet had entered from the rear.
The report also found fractured ribs, multiple injuries to the head and face, and an approximately 12-centimetre fracture and wound on the right thigh. Blood stains were also found in tissues in the lower part of the body.
The preliminary findings from samples collected after the exhumation differed significantly from the earlier post-mortem findings. Investigators also found evidence of a deep injury and fracture to the jaw, along with injuries to the nasal bone and different parts of the face.
