Mir Raza murder case: Ex-SHO dismissed over misconduct, mishandling of evidence

Former Gulistan-i-Jauhar station house officer (SHO), Kamran Qureshi, was dismissed from service on Saturday over charges of misconduct in the Mir Raza Ali murder case.

Last month, a joint investigation team (JIT) constituted by the Sindh government recommended an inquiry against Qureshi, who was suspended from duty, over the possible facilitation of the destruction of evidence.

According to the dismissal order seen by Dawn, Qureshi failed to secure the crime scene where Ali’s body was found and did not call in the Crime Scene Unit (CSU) as per regulations.

“As a result, the crime scene could not be processed promptly, which caused [a] delay in forensic examination and possible loss of important circumstantial evidence which [is] tantamount to gross misconduct, inefficiency [and] dereliction of duty. Thus, you have rendered yourself liable to be awarded one of the major punishment[s] under the Sindh Police (E&D) Rules, 1988,“ the order read.

The order further noted that an inquiry was conducted by Central Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Imran Khan, who observed that Qureshi not only failed to discharge his duties in securing the crime scene and evidence, but did not even visit the site. The Central SSP recommended major punishment.

The order said that Qureshi also failed to submit a reply to a show-cause notice.

“He was called in [the] orderly room and heard in person on Nov 13. His oral explanation has been considered and found unsatisfactory, as he could not add any cogent reason to repudiate the allegations levelled against him,” the order read.

“Therefore, agreeing with the recommendation of [the] inquiry officer, he is hereby awarded major punishment of dismissal from service,” the order said.

The case

Ali, a 25-year-old businessman, had gone missing on July 28 after leaving his home in PECHS, and his body, bearing a gunshot wound, was found in the bushes in Gulistan-i-Jauhar a day later.

Initially, the police built the case around suicide on the basis of the first autopsy, which indicated a bullet entry wound on the chest, and by pointing out business losses and money borrowed by the victim.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had disputed the findings of the first post-mortem conducted by medico-legal officer Dr Osama Sheikh.

The second post-mortem report termed the findings of the first report “inconsistent” with suicide as the manner of Ali’s death. It said the Exhumation Board was of the unanimous opinion that the death was caused by a gunshot wound to the back.

Last month, a judicial commission formed to probe the case had pointed out the police’s “epic failure” in their investigation of the case. In its 62-page report, the commission, while severely criticising the police investigation, came to the conclusion that it was a “murder”, and made a host of recommendations, including formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the case.

The report was made public by the Sindh government.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar announced on Oct 22 that a JIT would be formed in accordance with the recommendations of the judicial commission.

Day later, the government formed the JIT, led by DIG Irfan Baloch, and asked the Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Pakistan Rangers and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency to nominate senior officers to join the team.

Earlier this week, the JIT seized the licensed pistol of Ali’s business partner and said that the North Nazimabad branch of the deceased’s food chain had also been sealed for further investigation.