Suicide turns out to be murder

Autopsy, investigations prove retired cop strangled to death, burnt by sons

KARACHI:

A retired policeman, initially thought to have died by self-immolation in Soldier Bazaar area, was, in fact, strangled to death by his own sons. The suspected culprits were arrested by police after the post-mortem examination exposed the grim truth.

The burnt body of Saleem Ansari, a 65-year-old retired police officer, was discovered in a residence in the Gul Rana Colony of Soldier Bazaar on Saturday. Identified through forensic procedures, Ansari's demise raised suspicions due to the circumstances surrounding his death.

Preliminary investigations by Asad Elahi, SHO Soldier Bazaar police station, suggested that Ansari had retired while serving at Soldier Bazaar police station and was living alone on the first floor of the house following separation from his wife. His married son resided on the ground floor of the same house. Further scrutiny revealed that Ansari had a small retail shop.

While early assumptions leaned towards self-immolation, evidence collected by the Crime Scene Unit prompted a closer examination of the case. Despite objections from one of Ansari's sons, Imran, who is also a serving policeman, the post-mortem was conducted by SP Liaquatabad Division Alina Rajpar.

The post-mortem report confirmed the grim reality: Ansari had been strangled to death. Subsequently, a case was registered against the deceased's sons under section 302/34, based on the post-mortem findings and medical examination.

SHO Elahi revealed that Imran, along with his brother, played a pivotal role in orchestrating their father's murder and attempted to pass it off as a suicide. However, their efforts were thwarted by the diligent intervention of SP Rajpar, who ensured the completion of the post-mortem process, revealing the true nature of the incident.

Both sons of the deceased were arrested by Soldier Bazaar police, and legal proceedings have been launched against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2024.