The celebrated Sindhi poet Dr Allah Bux aka Akash Ansari, who died in a controversial house fire on Saturday in Hyderabad, was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard, Shaikh Umar, in Badin district on Sunday. As his relatives received condolences from people representing various segments of the society, the Hyderabad police rounded up his son Vishal Latif Ansari after having detained his driver Asif Siyal the other day.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar revealed on Sunday that marks of torture were found on the poet's body during the postmortem examination in Larkana district. This discovery suggests that it may be premature to conclude that the poet's death was caused by an accidental fire in his bedroom.
Meanwhile, Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, who attended the funeral, appeared convinced that Ansari was killed. "It is evident that it was a murder. And a murder which was done brutally."
Shah pointed out that although the postmortem report is still awaited, preliminary information from medico-legal doctors suggests that the poet was killed. This conclusion is based on their initial "naked eye observation".
According to the education minister, Ansari's body showed signs of a brutal attack, including knife penetration marks and a wound in his lungs. "His neck, shoulders, and back all bear marks of torture," the minister said. He revealed that he had seen photos of the body taken by medico-legal experts. The minister emphasised the need for a fair inquiry, urging the police to expose those behind the murder. He noted that Ansari's legacy extended beyond his relatives, as the entire province of Sindh considered him a revered figure.
Jan Muhammad Ansari, a cousin of the deceased, claimed that the poet and his son have had a recent record of friction to the point that the father had lodged an FIR of fraud nominating his son. According to him, Vishal had withdrawn cash of around Rs4 million from father's account without his permission.
SSP Hyderabad Farrukh Ali Lanjar had formed a committee, led by SP headquarters Masood Iqbal, to conduct an inquest into the poet's death. The committee visited Ansari's residence in Citizen Colony area in Hyderabad on Sunday to collect evidences and review the crime scene. Vishal and Siyal were both reportedly present in that house when Ansari's room caught fire. They claimed that the blazes sparked from a short circuit.
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