Police arrest one suspect, another absconding in Murtaza Razvi murder case

Police say both the suspects were masseuses, who had been known to Razvi.

KARACHI: Senior Superintendent Police South Nasir Abbas announced on Monday evening that the police had arrested one man suspected of being involved in the murder of senior Dawn journalist, Murtaza Razvi in an upscale locality of Karachi last week.

Razvi, Dawn’s Magazine’s editor, had been found bearing torture marks and with this arms bound from artist Shahid Rissam’s studio on April 19, 2012.

Meanwhile, Abbas told media men gathered for the press briefing that they had arrested a suspect, Waqas, 22, from Gizri. He was a masseuse, and police claimed to have recovered Razvi’s stolen cell phone from his possession. Police added that Waqas was not the only suspect.

It turns out that Waqas was accompanied by another masseuse, a man aged between 25-26, both of whom had been picked up by Razvi from Zamzama the night before his murder. Once they were at the studio, the two masseuses discovered that there was no body at the flat except them. As per a pre-existing plan, police said, they overpowered Razvi. One of the masseuse tied the journalist up before they proceeded to strangle him.

Police added that these two particular masseuses were known to Razvi as this was not the first time the journalist had sought their services on multiple prior occasions.

Police say they have only recovered the cell phone stolen off Razvi, while his wallet and the ATM cards are believed to be in possession of Waqas’s accomplice, who is still absconding.

CID, police Lyari gangster

Central Investigation Department (CID) and Thatta local police  claim to have arrested a suspected gangster from Lyari.

On Monday, while announcing the arrest, they said that a farm house in Thatta was raided, where they arrested Shahid Bikik and three of his suspected accomplices, weapons were also recovered.

According to the police, Bikik, who allegedly belongs to one of the gangs which operates in Lyari, had also been involved in the 2011 attack on Bilal Sheikh, the former security in charge of Bilawal House. Sheikh had survived the attack.