ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: The police team probing the mysterious death of a retired wing commander and his wife has expanded the scope of investigation to the couple’s family members, relatives, friends and house servants, after the chemical examiner’s report indicated that the couple was poisoned.

The chemical examiner report suggested that Ghulam Abbas and his wife Sughra Abbas died due to poisoning. A compound, barbituric acid, has been found in the stomach contents of the couple.

The same poison was also found in the home-made curry (Daal Mash) and vomit samples.

According to the statement of Sheikh Zahid Mehmood, a house servant of the late wing commander, the curry was prepared on the night of August 17 by a family member.

Barbituric acid, which claimed the life of the couple, is used in sleeping pills, however, the investigation suggested that none of them was on any such medication.

There is a strong possibility that the killer(s) purchased the drug with the intention to kill one of them or both. Police are also investigating as to where the sleeping pills were purchased from and by whom.

Whoever poisoned the couple knew the wing commander and his family very well and freely moved in the house. There is a chance that the killer(s) mixed poison in the curry during day time on August 18, as the family ate the same dish last night, but all of them remained unhurt.

Earlier, the prime minister had directed the local police on August 19 to resolve the case as soon as possible.

Local police, and administrations of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and PAF Hospital had sent 22 items to chemical examiner Lahore on August 19.

The items included contents of stomach, samples of viscera — spleen, kidney, heart, lever, spleen and brain — left over food and vomit to ascertain the actual cause of death on August 19.

Police are interrogating the house servant, Sheikh Zahid Mehmood, of the retired wing commander, and he would formally be arrested soon.

The attitude of Mr Mehmood is very suspicious as he keeps changing his statements, police said, adding that he gave six different statements.

The servant told the police that he went to his house near Khana Bridge in the afternoon of August 17, and returned to his employer’s house the next day in the afternoon. However, he again went to his house after some time.

Shabar Abbas, son of the wing commander, also left the house in the morning along with his wife. Police are still in dark as to where Mr Abbas and his wife were from 12:30pm to 3pm, and who visited the house during this time.

Police are also focusing on the family members, relatives, and friends of the retired wing commander, however, none of them have been found suspicious so far.

The involvement of property dealers in the incident could not be ruled as the wing commander wanted to purchase a house in Sector G-9.

However, it is still a mystery that which house he wanted to buy and who was involved in the deal.