The preliminary information suggested that Sara Malik – daughter of Ibrar Ahmed – allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the sea at Karachi’s Sea View beach on January 6.
Malik, who was earlier termed a doctor, was a receptionist at RPK Critter Care and Animal Hospital located in Defence Housing Authority Phase-VI. Her body was rescued after two days on January 8.
Police surgeon’s view
Speaking to SAMAA Digital, a Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the victim’s body was brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for autopsy on January 8 at around 12:30pm.
She added that a female medico-legal officer (MLO) performed the postmortem, and collected all the relevant samples, but unveiling of death cause was withheld till arrival of reports.
Syed told that MLO observed that the body brought for the autopsy was still fresh although the police team apprised her that the body had been fished out two days later.
“Observations of the MLO have raised concerns,” South-Zone Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Irfan Baloch told SAMAA Digital.
According to the DIGP, the body of the victim looked fresh and the MLO was able to find some evidences on the corpse which suggested that she was murdered, and it was not a suicide.
Baloch said that the MLO collected the samples during autopsy and the reports are also indicative of their doubts.
Sana Malik was apparently murdered
Apart from digital evidence, oral evidence also suggest that Sana Malik might be murdered.
The DIGP said that the victim was working at the veterinary for the past two years, and she had been in a relation with her employer Dr Shan Saleem.
However, Baloch said Dr Saleem sexually abused the victim and then developed a relation with another employee named Bisma.
The DIGP said that Sana got to know that Dr Saleem was in another relationship owing to which she was mentally stressed.
On January 6, Sana caught Bisma in an objectionable condition in Dr Saleem’s room and there was an altercation among them.
CCTV footage
Baloch said Dr Saleem had discarded all the evidences. The hospital is secured by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras but when team of Sahil police station reached there, they found the footage of digital video recorder (DVR) was deleted.
DIGP said police obtained footage of another CCTV camera installed nearby the hospital in which Sara could be seen riding in a rickshaw with Bisma on January 6 – the day when the victim went missing.
He said that a citizen called on police helpline and informed that he was at Sea View, and saw a woman jumping into the sea.
“The man who called on police helpline has been identified, and he is in police’s custody for interrogation,” he added.
Sahil police registered a case under sections 365 (abduction) and 34 (common intention) on complaint of victim’s father Ibrar Ahmed against Dr Saleem and Bisma.
Sara was under mental stress
In her statement to police, Ahmed claimed that her daughter had been experiencing severe mental stress for the past month.
He told the police that Sara had apprised her mother about the relation between Dr Saleem and Bisma.
Ahmed claimed that on the day of her mysterious disappearance, Sara called her mother on her mobile and informed that she had had an altercation with her employer and colleague Bisma.
According to the victim’s father, his wife asked the deceased to leave the hospital and return home immediately, but she didn’t come back.
