HYDERABAD: Police clai-med to have arrested three more suspects in connection with the murder of city’s noted dermatologist Dr Dharam Dev Rathi, who was killed on March 7.

They added that the weapon of offence, a pistol, was also recovered from their possession while one suspect was still absconding.

The arrested suspects were identified as Manzoor Bhutto, Tanvir Bhutto and Qayam Bhutto. Police had first arrested Hanif Leghari, driver of the slain doctor, and recovered a knife and pistol.

The three suspects belonged to Naushahro Feroz district’s Kandiaro taluka, said police officials, including SP Headquarters Anil Hyder, ASP Aleena Rajpar and Baldia police DSP Wahid Ali Shah.

They clarified that the doctor was not killed for being member of a religious minority; he was murdered for money.

Hanif Leghari, according to them, was working as doctor’s driver for the last 18 years. They said the doctor had sacked Hanif on a few occasions for one or the other reasons, including theft, but always rehired him.

They maintained that according to the three suspects’ confession, they wanted to rob him of his money, but when Dr Rathi did not disclose his wealth, they murdered him. They said his cook had no role in the murder. The suspects were produced before journalists at a press briefing with their faces covered.

SP Anil told Dawn that Hanif Leghari confessed during the interrogation that the suspects were in his contact, which was corroborated by his call data records (CDRs). He said the accused wanted to commit a robbery because Hanif told them that the doctor used to keep cash in the house.

The SP disclosed that on the day of the incident, Hanif took his employer to his house via the Rani Bagh road instead of the normal route of the Cantonment area to avoid security checking.

He said it was in fact technically a kidnapping-cum-murder case.

He added that the three suspects joined Hanif in the car and tried to get details of cash lying in the house, but Dr Rathi resisted their attempt. The suspects got nervous, murdered him during the resistance, dumped his body in the house and fled, according to the SP.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2023