Search of truth: Forensic team digs up Faisal’s grave

Six-member team extracted fresh samples.


Umer Nangiana February 03, 2013
Kamran Faisal’s grave being dug up. PHOTO: NNI

ISLAMABAD:


A six-member team of the Punjab Forensic Science Academy (PFSA) exhumed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officer Kamran Faisal’s body on Saturday to take fresh samples which may provide some evidence in the case.


“We have exhumed Faisal’s body for an independent examination,” said Rana Naseer, a member of the six-member PSFA team, adding that they had asked for the exhumation due to the controversy surrounding the initial post-mortem report.

A four-member Islamabad police team, headed by investigation officer Inspector Mubarik Ali, reached Mian Channu as well to supervise the exhumation process.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Inspector Ali said Faisal’s body was exhumed after obtaining permission from the deceased officer’s family. He maintained Faisal’s father allowed the move after he was informed that it was to collect further evidence.

“I have no idea exactly what samples the experts extracted from the body. They spent almost two hours at the site to collect what they needed,” said the inspector, adding that the police team’s role was to confirm that the autopsy was being conducted on the right person.

“PFSA officials said they wanted to be certain that the samples examined for forensic evidence were taken from Faisal’s body,” said a senior police officer quoting the forensic agency’s request letter to Islamabad police seeking permission for exhumation.

“Police had nothing to do with the post mortem… The samples were sealed and sent to the five-member medical board of Poly Clinic hospital for forensic tests,” the officer maintained. He added that while it was beyond the PFSA’s mandate to ask for the exhumation, the police allowed them nonetheless in order to ensure investigations were transparent.

While PFSA believes the newly obtained samples may conclusively reveal if the NAB officer committed suicide or was murdered, police investigators and medico-legal officers believe it is near impossible to ascertain that in a case of death by hanging.

Other evidence

The forensic agency has also asked the police to provide clothes Faisal had been wearing at the time of his death.

“These clothes, including his azaarband, were sent to PFSA,” said a city police officer. The forensic experts intend to run DNA tests on any foreign elements, such as hair, found on the clothes to determine whether someone else touched Faisal before his death.

Police officials, however, said the clothes were never preserved for any forensic tests and doubted if the agency would find anything helpful.

Widow’s statement

The Islamabad police team in Mian Channu also met Faisal’s family to record their statements. His widow Sadia Kamran talked to lady police officer Sadaf Basharat and formally recorded her statement.

“My husband was a man of very strong nerves and could not take any extreme step, such as suicide,” Sadia said in her statement, according to a police officer. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN MULTAN)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

Hajishabib.baig | 11 years ago | Reply

AS SLAMO ALEKUM WA REHMATULLAH First of all faith fully appreciated EXPRESS TRIBUNE EFFORTS FOR KAMRAN FAISAL CASE,here I would like to suggest our CHIEF JUSTICE IFTIKHAR MOHAMMAD CHAUDHRY please don,t trust all government Doctors report that,s why they positive SAVE NABE AND PRIME MINISTER MEGA CRIME.The only solution for TRUTH ALL DOCTORS who investigate case must give STATEMENT ON OATH BY HOLY QURAN other wise all statements are fake and bogus.In past 65 years any statement issued by government authorities base on truth so lets go on OUR HOLY QURAN.And inform result NATION.

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