Family cries foul over probe into teen's 'rape, death'

The family of 15-year-old Muhammad Umar Lashari, who died allegedly after being raped in Shikarpur on September 3, has accused police of deliberately delaying the investigation to weaken the case, while the civil hospital's medical superintendent has raised concerns over a five-day delay in crucial DNA and chemical examination reports.

Relatives of Lashari, an orphaned boy, and members of the local community staged protests on Monday and Tuesday, demanding justice for the teenager who was found unconscious on a road near Shikarpur Gymkhana on the night of September 2.

Their concerns were echoed by Medical Superintendent of the Civil Hospital Dr Jai Prakash, who said the hospital had sent samples of the deceased on September 3 for chemical examination at a laboratory in Rohri, Sukkur, and for DNA testing at the Research Lab of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro. However, five days later, the hospital had still not received either report, Dr Prakash said, describing the delay as a matter of concern.

"Even today afternoon I phoned SHO Bilal Laghari of Lakhi Dar police station and reminded him about the urgency of the matter," he said, adding that police had earlier failed to respond to the hospital's concerned medical officers.

Dr Prakash said Lashari was brought to the hospital around 12.30am on September 3 in a rickshaw by Jabbar Sethar, who is the prime suspect and an accused in the FIR.

The teenager was gasping for breath when he arrived and doctors immediately administered CPR and other emergency treatment, but he died around 1.15am, the medical superintendent said.

He also pointed to an initial jurisdictional dispute between New Faujdari and Lakhi Dar police stations, saying the disagreement had delayed coordination between the hospital and police at a critical stage of the case.

According to Dr Prakash, the hospital provided a provisional report regarding the cause of death to the police on the very first day.

Meanwhile, Lashari's uncle Muneer said the family had received neither the provisional nor the final post-mortem report. He also accused police of failing to keep the bereaved family informed about progress in the investigation and demanded transparency in the handling of the case.

Police initially detained four suspects in connection with the incident, but released three while retaining Sethar in custody. The three suspects were subsequently rounded up again after being nominated in the case, according to the family.

The family and local residents have continued their protests, calling for a transparent investigation and justice for the deceased teenager.