KARACHI: Murdered man’s body to be exhumed in Orangi
By S. Raza Hassan
KARACHI, Feb 29: A special medical board will carry out the exhumation of the body of Mohammad Atique on March 1 (today) in Orangi Town, where he was buried in the courtyard of a house in February.
Atique, a milk supplier, was allegedly killed by a woman, Shamshad Bibi, and her associate Irfan on Feb 14, the day he left his house in Manzoor Colony after receiving a call on his cellphone, investigators maintain.
Describing the details of the case, police said that Shamshad Bibi, wife of Mohammad Anwer and mother of three children, developed a relationship with Atique, who used to supply milk to her house.
Police said their relationship could not remain discreet and it soon became known in the neighbourhood. Subsequently, relations between Shamshad Bibi and her husband became strained and the woman moved out from her husband’s house along with her three children a few months back, police said.
The woman moved to her brother’s (Athar) place in Orangi Town, who was actually living in the house of his friend Irfan Mehmood, police said.
Following the disappearance of Mr Atique, his brother Saeed lodged an FIR at the Baloch Colony police station on Feb 22.
Saeed told the police — quoting Atique’s wife — that he had left the house on Feb 14 after attending a call on his cellphone. Before leaving he had also called some number through his cellphone.
When police retrieved the call details of Atique’s cell, the last received and last dialled numbers were that of Shamshad Bibi, a senior police officer said.
Subsequently, when police tried to trace the woman, her brother and his friend Irfan, none of the three were available.
Police pressurized the family of Irfan, who were unaware of his role. It emerged that Irfan was in Lahore. His family members contacted him and made him return to the city saying that his father was unwell.
However, following his return the police rounded him up and according to them he narrated the story voluntarily.
Eyewitness account
Quoting the events narrated by Irfan, the police said that one day when he went to his house, despite knocking on the door several times no one opened it. He went into the house by scaling the wall and found a stranger inside, who slapped him twice.
Meanwhile, Shamshad Bibi got hold of a stick and struck the man on the head, making him fall to the ground. Subsequently, she used a wire to strangulate the man to death.
After he was killed, Irfan helped Shamshad Bibi dig a grave in the courtyard of the house and buried the man in the same house. The woman is still absconding and it needs to be ascertained if she was capable of killing the man alone or if she was assisted by Irfan. Police have already arrested Irfan, who is said to be a Hafiz-i-Quran and has completed an eight-year Mufti course. The exhumation will also determined if the murdered man was poisoned.
Following the disclosure by Irfan, the police moved the court of district and sessions judge, South, Mr Arjun Ram K. Talreja, for the exhumation of Mohammad Atique’s body.
Subsequently, civil judge and judicial magistrate, South, Asif Ahmed directed the police surgeon on Feb 27 to constitute a medical board as early as possible on a top priority basis for the exhumation.
However, acting at the usual pace, the police surgeon notified the date for exhumation of the body as March 1.
The family members have been suffering in agony due to the delay as they are eager to give their loved one a proper burial following the legal course of action.
The medical board, chaired by police surgeon Dr Bashir Ahmed Shaikh, consists of Dr Farhat Hussain Mirza, associate professor (DUHS), Dr Muneer Soomro, pathologist, and Dr Abdul Haque, a senior medico-legal officer.
The exhumation will take place in the jurisdiction of the Pakistan Bazaar police station at the home located in Gali No 8, Ghaziabad, Sector 11½, Orangi Town.
The post-mortem of the deceased will be carried out on the spot and following the forensic formalities, the body will be handed over to the family for a proper burial.
