DNA confirms recovered body is Mir Raza Ali

Blood found on broken flowerpot also matches victim; chemical report indicates he was shot from behind

KARACHI:

DNA and chemical reports have cleared major doubts surrounding the high-profile murder of Wafflix's owner Mir Raza Ali, confirming that the body recovered from Gulistan-e-Johar was his and indicating that he was shot from behind.

Sources said four DNA samples obtained from the body during a post-mortem following the exhumation on Saturday matched reference samples taken from Mir Raza's parents.

The samples were sent to the Sindh Forensic DNA Laboratory at the University of Karachi. Laboratory officials informed the new investigation team that the DNA profiles of the body matched those of the victim's parents.

Sources further said a blood sample collected from a broken piece of a flowerpot near the site where the body was found also matched Mir Raza's blood samples.

Meanwhile, the chemical laboratory report from the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) at the University of Karachi has also been received by the new investigation team.

According to sources, the report found evidence indicating that Mir Raza had been shot from behind. A higher quantity of gunshot residue was found on the back of his shirt, where the bullet had struck.

The report also detected traces of a sedative in the victim's blood samples and indicated the presence of acid on his body.

Sources said the bullet entry hole in the back of Mir Raza's shirt was smaller, while the exit hole was approximately six times larger.

Furthermore, DSP Sirajuddin and Inspector Muhammad Ali have been included in the investigation team to bring the case to a logical conclusion at the earliest. The total number of members of the investigation team has now risen to seven.

Mir Raza's body, bearing a gunshot wound, was found at a hilly location in Gulistan-e-Johar at around 11am on July 29. The investigation later yielded a .30-bore pistol casing from the crime scene on August 6, although the previous investigation team could not recover the weapon.

Following reservations expressed by the victim's family over the investigation team and the emergence of evidence indicating that Mir Raza had been shot from behind after his exhumation, the previous team was dissolved.

A new investigation team was subsequently formed under DIG Investigation and Crime Amir Farooqi. The victim's family and their lawyer had expressed satisfaction with the formation of the new team.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate in the East district directed the police to submit a progress report in the murder case by August 15. The case came up for hearing before the Judicial Magistrate (East). The previous IO appeared before the court and sought more time to submit the report, saying the investigation was still under way. The IO informed the court that senior authorities had changed the officer handling the case and that the new investigation officer would appear at the next hearing.

The court accepted the request and directed that the report be submitted by August 15.