Crime scene mishandled from outset in Mir Raza case, says ex-CTD chief

Former CTD chief Raja Umar Khattab said significant lapses occurred in the handling of the crime scene in the Mir Raza case, stressing that police should have immediately cordoned off the area and preserved all potential evidence.

Khattab in an interview said the Mir Raza case was initially treated like an ordinary case by the medico-legal officer (MLO), adding that arranging the MLO examination was the responsibility of the police.

“The shortcomings in the Mir Raza case began at the crime scene itself,” he said, adding that both the police and the MLO were responsible for lapses during the initial stages of the investigation.

He said cordoning off the crime scene and collecting evidence were standard operating procedures (SOPs) that should have been followed from the outset.

According to Khattab, forensic analysis of a bullet casing could be carried out even if the weapon had not been recovered. He also noted that forensic processes take time and that results cannot necessarily be expected within 24 hours.

He said biological evidence, including traces of another person’s sweat found on clothing, could also prove significant in an investigation.

Khattab expressed hope that the newly constituted investigation team would examine the case thoroughly and address the shortcomings identified during the initial investigation.

He said the case gained wider attention after evidence indicated that Mir Raza’s death was a murder. Had the evidence been examined more carefully from the beginning, he added, solving the case would not have been particularly difficult.

Khattab further said police should have issued a clear position on the case at an early stage and expressed confidence that digital evidence would play a key role in resolving the Mir Raza case.