KARACHI: Sahil police have registered a case in the deaths of two minor brothers apparently due to food poisoning for “unintentional murder” and “adulteration in food”. Investigators are due to record statements of every single person associated with the incident separately either as a witness or in other capacity, including family members of the boys, said South SSP, Pir Mohammad Shah on Wednesday.

Mr Shah, who is chairman of a special investigation team formed by Add IG Karachi Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh, told Dawn that the case was basically a narration of the facts described by mother of the victim brothers, Ms Ayesha.

The complainant did not accuse anyone over the death of her minor sons, Ahmad, one and half years old and Mohammad, 5, but she raised suspicions in her statement before the investigators that her sons might have died due to consuming candies at a shop adjacent to a park in Defence Housing Authority, and food at a restaurant in Zamzama, Clifton, on Nov 11 (Sunday).

The probe body, headed by South SSP and including other members, held a meeting to expedite the investigation process.

They examined CCTV footage obtained from both the restaurant and the candy shop.

Govt lab in province ‘non-functional’

The SSP said that 30 samples taken from the home of the victims have been sent to a lab in Lahore while four other samples have been sent to HEJ Karachi University whose findings were expected to be received within seven to 10 days, which will help the investigators to determine the exact cause of death.

The probe body head admitted that the samples have been sent to Lahore because the provincial government’s laboratory concerned has become “non-functional” recently.

The investigators also decided to take statements of the restaurant and shop employees and seven family members separately under Section 161 of Criminal Procedure Code since now an FIR has been registered.

“So far, no one has been arrested,” said the officer. “We are open to investigation into all aspects of the case,” added SSP Mr Shah. He said that they were not treating anyone as accused at this stage.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2018