KARACHI, Aug 28: Police investigations into the recent mysterious deaths of a newly-wed couple have stalled because of the non-receipt of the histo-pathological and chemical reports.

On August 11, the morning after their wedding, Mohammed Azeem and Beenish were found dead in their North Nazimabad apartment.

DIG Zone West, Faluk Khursheed, told Dawn that the police have looked into every possible angle of the case but the final line of investigation will be determined once the chemical and histo-pathological reports are received, after which the cause of death can be ascertained. He offered the opinion, however, that “it is no outside job. It seems that someone close to the couple could be behind the murder, particularly if the presence of poison is ascertained,” he said. The DIG expressed hope that both reports would become available in about a week’s time.

Speculating upon another possibility, a police official requesting anonymity said that if poison is detected in the groom’s body, it could suggest that he killed his bride for some reason and later consumed poison. However, he emphasised, nothing may be assumed until the two forensic reports are received.

Hospital sources who had examined the bodies said that Beenish died at approximately 6am while Azeem expired at around 10:30am. He was rushed to Imam Clinic by his friend Ghayyur and his aunts, where he was pronounced dead. They then took him to the Aga Khan Hospital, from where he was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for a postmortem examination.

On the condition of anonymity, a police official told Dawn that spectacles had been found on the bedside table in the couple’s room but upon questioning, none of the family members had claimed them. Finally, however, Beenish’s paternal uncle Razzak had admitted that they belonged to him.

Furthermore Baber, a neighbour who helped the family members move the bodies, said that he had seen two glasses half-filled with what appeared to be Energile on the bedside tables, said the police officer.

Interviews suggest that some arguments took place during the wedding’s photo session, and it is also said that the groom’s father was not quite happy with the wedding’s timing.

Along with two of his batchmates and his friend Ghayur, the groom Azeem worked at Siemens for the past two years. Beenish and Zainab were the only women amongst their batch of 40 students at the NED University.

The investigations of the case have been re-assigned by the DIG, who has removed the inquiry officer and set up a three member team headed by SPO Azizabad.