Proceedings of the judicial commission investigating the death of businessman Mir Raza continued on Monday, with Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed appearing before the commission and giving a detailed account of the exhumation, second post-mortem and forensic findings.
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Mir Raza’s father and sister, Additional Law Secretary and the Sindh government’s focal person were also present during the proceedings.
During her testimony, Dr Summaiya Syed told the commission that delays in sending samples to laboratories can affect forensic results and may sometimes lead to false-negative findings. She said she had raised concerns about the case before recommending an exhumation.
According to Dr Summaiya Syed, she spoke to the SSP East on August 2 and expressed her concerns. On August 3, she wrote a letter recommending the exhumation. She said she again raised the issue of exhumation and a second post-mortem during a meeting with police on August 5.
Medical board questioned
The commission questioned Dr Summaiya Syed about the formation of the medical board. She explained that a court can direct the Secretary Health, Director General Health Services or Police Surgeon to form such a board.
She said the medical board in Mir Raza’s case was formed on the basis of the experience and expertise of its members and included senior specialists.
Dr Summaiya Syed said the second post-mortem resulted in 263 photographs being taken.
She also told the commission that the Sindh Medico-Legal Act is in force, although its rules have not yet been notified. Advocate Jibran Nasir said the Sindh High Court had directed the authorities in 2024 to notify the rules, but this had still not happened.
Dispute over medical board
Dr Summaiya Syed said the composition of the medical board was changed, with all members except her being replaced at one stage.
She said she was verbally told by the Deputy Secretary Health that she should remove herself from the board. However, she pointed out that her name was included in the judicial magistrate’s order.
According to Dr Summaiya Syed, on the day of the exhumation, Additional IG Azad Khan sent an order from the Director General Health Services allowing changes to the team. Following a call from the Additional IG, members of the earlier team were also called to participate.
She said the judicial magistrate later cancelled the exhumation proceedings.
Dr Summaiya Syed told the commission that the medical team that she had selected ultimately conducted the exhumation on August 8.
Injuries, bullet trajectory and exhumation
Giving a presentation on the exhumation, Dr Summaiya Syed said injuries were visible on Mir Raza’s head and the back of his head. She also said his nose bone was fractured. She told the commission that he was shot while Mir Raza was alive.
Dr Summaiya Syed said a fracture in the sixth rib and the direction of the injury indicated that the bullet had entered from the back. She said the bullet travelled towards the heart and exited after damaging the heart and lung.
She further stated that the earlier identification of an injury on the chest as the bullet entry point was incorrect.
According to Dr Summaiya Syed, the medical board’s findings were not consistent with suicide.
Questions over chemicals
A major part of the proceedings focused on chemical burns found on Mir Raza’s body and clothes.
Dr Summaiya Syed said the marks on his hands and feet were caused by chemicals and were not normal signs of decomposition. She said she consulted four dermatology experts about the injuries.
She told the commission that the chemical found on the clothes was hydrochloric acid and that the marks on the body were consistent with exposure to industrial acid.
Dr Summaiya Syed said Mir Raza’s shirt showed signs of carbonisation and that the chemical marks could not simply be explained by natural decomposition.
She also said there were no signs of decomposition on the back of the body.
Blood at crime scene questioned
Dr Summaiya Syed questioned the amount of blood found at the crime scene.
She said the human body normally contains around five to six litres of blood. According to her, considering the nature of the heart injury, a large amount of blood would normally be expected at the scene.
She also said the body showed signs that needed further examination rather than simply being treated as decomposition.
Forensic samples
Dr Summaiya Syed said samples from the heart, stomach, shirt and other organs were collected during the investigation and sent to a laboratory.
She said the samples were deposited at the University of Karachi by investigating officer Shabbir Laghari.
According to her, bullet-related material, including lead, was found on both sides of Mir Raza’s shirt. She said the forensic findings supported the conclusion that the bullet entered from the back.
Dr Summaiya Syed also said hydrochloric acid was detected on the shirt.
She maintained that the stomach samples were also sent for laboratory testing and that there was no evidence that stomach contents had leaked onto the body.
Anaesthesia becomes another key issue
The commission also questioned Dr Summaiya Syed about the presence of anaesthesia in Mir Raza’s body.
Dr Summaiya Syed said the forensic report showed the presence of anaesthesia in a heart sample, indicating that the drug had been present in the bloodstream.
She said it could be concluded that anaesthesia was present in Mir Raza’s body when he was shot.
Dr Summaiya Syed also disputed the earlier explanation given by Dr Usama regarding the drug’s half-life. She said the half-life of a drug does not continue in the same way after death.
She explained that local anaesthesia normally removes sensation and can take several hours to wear off. She added that injecting a large amount directly into a vein could be fatal.
The commission asked whether anaesthesia could be administered through a spray. Dr Summaiya Syed replied that if it had been administered through a spray, forensic testing might not necessarily have detected it.
Dr Summaiya Syed says she received threats
During the proceedings, Dr Summaiya Syed told the commission that she had received threats because of her involvement in the case.
She said her career and job had been put at risk and alleged that accusations were made against her. She also said her home address and her husband’s name had been circulated on social media.
Dr Summaiya Syed said she had complained to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Justice Umar Sial asked whether she required police security. Dr Summaiya Syed declined.
The judge then directed the Additional Law Secretary to ensure her security and said the matter should be brought to the attention of the Sindh Chief Minister and Interior Minister.
Justice Sial said the situation was not acceptable and needed to be examined.
Police officer summoned
Dr Summaiya Syed also alleged that she had approached DIG Aamir Farooqi and Samiullah Somroo to explain her concerns but was not heard.
She claimed that a DIG later told her not to mention in her report that the findings were not consistent with suicide.
She further alleged that she was followed for two days.
Dr Summaiya Syed said a CIA inspector had also asked her for records. The commission subsequently summoned CIA Inspector Muhammad Ali for the next hearing.
Commission questions investigation
The commission repeatedly questioned why there were disputes over the case when, according to the medical evidence presented before it, several issues appeared to have been clarified.
Dr Summaiya Syed said the case was unusual because, in her professional experience, she had never before dealt with a case involving suspected chemical exposure of this nature.
She said her concerns initially began with the location and direction of the bullet entry wound. According to her, the exhumation on August 8 confirmed her concerns, while laboratory results received on August 11 provided further answers.
Mir Raza’s family told the commission that he had not received any medical treatment in the days before his death.
Dr Summaiya Syed said Mir Raza went missing on July 28 and his body was found around 11:30am on July 29. She said this meant he had been missing for roughly 12 hours before the body was recovered.
Commission seeks wider recommendations
The commission also asked about the medical board’s terms of reference and whether the purpose of the exhumation was to determine whether the death could be treated as suicide.
Dr Summaiya Syed said the board examined the questions and concerns that had been raised about the case.
She maintained that the medical findings did not support suicide.
The commission also said it would seek recommendations from Dr Summaiya Syed on issues beyond the Mir Raza case, particularly regarding forensic investigations and the handling of medical and toxicology evidence.
Earlier to this, the judicial commission investigating the death of Mir Raza held its third hearing at the Sindh High Court on Thursday in Karachi, questioning his business partners, an online taxi driver and police officials about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death.
Raza’s father, sister and business associates attended the proceedings, while several police officers were also summoned to record their statements before the commission.
