Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the body of a young woman found at Sea View in the early hours of Saturday. The body of 23-year-old Sara Malik, who had apparently drowned, had washed up on the shore.
The Sahil police said the body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. They said the woman was a resident of Mehmoodabad and worked at a clinic in DHA.
They also said that a woman’s handbag was found at the scene which contained identity documents and other items. They added that the woman had gone missing on Friday. FIR No. 06/23 has been registered under Section 365/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
District South SSP Syed Asad Raza said that on Saturday night, the police raided the hospital where the woman worked, and arrested Dr Shan Saleem and a member of his staff.
SSP Raza said that a man named Jamal had called the police and claimed seeing the woman jumping into the sea, adding that the police were still trying to ascertain if the man was telling the truth.
The officer said that according to the preliminary investigation, the clinic owner (a veterinary doctor) had sexually harassed the woman, adding that the police had also collected tissue samples, hair and contraceptives from Dr Saleem’s office.
The SSP said that the doctor had claimed being in a relationship with the woman for the past two years, adding that Dr Saleem had been booked under kidnapping and other charges. The officer said that when the police checked the computers at the clinic, they found that the doctor had deleted the CCTV camera footage record.
SSP Raza said that according to Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, the initial investigation showed that the body was not 40 hours old; however, they were conducting further investigation, including taking samples of the heart for examination to ascertain the time of death.
Investigation SP Zahida Parveen also visited the crime scene and met with Dr Summaiya. The SP gave details about the investigation of the case and the initial medical report. She said that according to doctors, the woman’s body looked three to four hours old. She added that after the examination, the body did not appear to be two days old, while the actual cause of death would be clear after receiving the detailed medical report.
The officer told the media that Jamal’s statement contradicts the initial medical report, so it remains to be determined why he made such a statement. She said the investigation is still ongoing, so Jamal’s connection with the case will also be ascertained.
The doctor arrested in the case will be produced in court on Monday (today). Moreover, the forensic examination of the mobile phones seized during the raid is also under way.
