THATTA: Police are still groping in the dark in their hectic efforts to solve the mystery shrouding the death of five friends whose bodies, with a single bullet hole on the right parietal lobe of each one, were found last Saturday at the grave of the legendary character, Noori. The grave is located on a tiny rock surrounded by Keenjhar Lake water.

Initial investigations suggested that the friends were inclined to metaphysical life and had been frequenting various shrines together.

An exchange of short messages — between one of them and his nephew — suggests he had decided to end his life.

Evidence collected from the grave suggested that the youngest of them, Mohammad Ali, shot dead all four and then committed suicide, presumably in a contract joint suicide. The pistol used in the crime was held by Mohammad Ali before police took it into custody.

Quoting some data of the cellphones of the five friends, police said it seemed they had decided to commit a joint suicide “to rid themselves of this material world”.

Mohammad Ali, along with retired Major Jahangir of the Janbaz Force who worked as an airport radar security officer at Pir Patho, Captain Bilal of the Pakistan Army, Sohail Ahmed, a banker, and Adnan Ahmed visited Keenjhar Lake on Saturday evening and parked their Honda City car at the recreation spot.

They then hired a boat to reach the Noori grave and asked the boatman to pick them only upon receiving their call. The boatman waited till sunset and decided to go to the grave on his own to bring them back. However, he found all of them shot dead.

Police have sent their viscera to five different chemical laboratories for analysis but the reports are still awaited.

They have also dispatched the pistol and two spent bullets, found by divers, to a forensic laboratory.

One of the boatmen operating at the lake told a media person on condition of anonymity that while on their way to the grave, the friends appeared well composed and kept talking seriously about the life and afterwards.

What boggles investigators is that why they decided to end their lives when they were well-off and one of them, Mohammad Ali, got married just three days back. “All of them also appeared to be in good state of mind,” an investigator who spoke to their family members and friends over the past few days said.

The police investigators are looking for some evidence that could negate the presumption that it was a joint suicide case. They are looking into the possibility of someone’s skillful plan to kill them and portray it a joint suicide.

However, they are yet to find any clue to the supposed killer.