KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) has expressed deep sorrow and concern over the murder of 25-year-old businessman Mir Raza Ali Khan and demanded a transparent, impartial and evidence-based investigation into his death.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the SHCBA said that after the report of the Special Medical Board, Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code has been added to the case and the case should now be forwarded as a murder investigation.
The Bar demanded that all those involved in the case should be identified, arrested and legal action be taken against them in accordance with the law.
Call for removal of senior officers, action under PPC 201, 218
The SHCBA said that DIG East, SSP CIA, SSP East and other officers associated with the initial handling of the case should be separated from the investigation, and departmental action should be taken against the concerned officers if necessary.
It further demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations of concealment, destruction or mishandling of evidence, and said that action should be considered under Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) of the PPC on the basis of evidence.
The association stressed that all medico-legal, forensic and digital evidence in the case should be preserved, the new investigation team should be allowed to work independently and no political or external influence on the investigation will be tolerated. The case, it said, should be taken to its logical conclusion based on evidence and law.
Solidarity with family
The Sindh High Court Bar said it expresses complete solidarity with the family of Mir Raza Ali Khan, adding that the family has the right to a fair and impartial investigation.
It said it supports the right to raise voice peacefully for justice and the rule of law, condemns attempts to suppress peaceful expression or protest in an illegal manner, and demands that action be taken against those responsible regardless of their rank and status if found guilty.
Case Background:
It may be added here that the statement by Sindh Bar comes at a time when the case has taken several new turns.
Mir Raza Ali Khan’s body was found on July 29 in an area falling within the Ferozabad police jurisdiction. Police initially treated the death as a suicide, a version strongly contested by the family from day one.
The family’s stance was strengthened after a Special Medical Board was constituted on court orders, the grave was exhumed and a second postmortem was conducted, which confirmed the death as a homicide – a bullet entering from the waist and exiting the chest, along with broken ribs, head injuries and chemical burns on the face. The Sindh Forensic Laboratory has confirmed the identity and blood samples.
Subsequently, the investigation committee was expanded to nine members, a 24-hour temporary check post was established at the crime scene, and the victim’s mobile phone and smartwatch were retrieved from the NCIA to be sent to the Lahore Forensic Laboratory after the family expressed reservations.
Earlier this week, a 2-hour-17-minute CCTV footage recorded near the recovery site on the night of July 28-29 surfaced, showing two suspicious motorcycles between 3:35am and 3:37am and the presence of a police mobile near the body from 5:08am onwards, raising serious questions over the initial response.
The victim’s father Mir Hassan has also demanded that the FIA be approached to obtain flight, train and bus travel records from the time Mir Raza left home till his body was found, while family counsel Jibran Nasir has objected to the inclusion of certain officers in the probe team, urging DIG Amir Farooqi to ensure a transparent, motive-centric investigation.
