KARACHI: A judicial commission investigating the death of businessman Mir Raza Ali has concluded that his death was murder, not suicide, pointing to serious negligence and failures in the police investigation. The Sindh government has made the commission’s report public following a decision by the provincial cabinet to release its findings. According to the report, serious negligence and unprofessional conduct marred the investigation, while the possibility that evidence had been destroyed could not be ruled out. It also raised the possibility that facts had been concealed during the initial stages of the investigation. The judicial commission said the controversy arose after a death initially declared a suicide was subsequently described as murder. It said police continued to maintain the suicide theory despite its inconsistency with the second post-mortem report. The conduct of Dr Usama and people associated with him further reinforced that position, according to the report. The commission said selected digital evidence apparently leaked to the media through police sources fuelled public speculation and gave rise to a narrative against the government. It said the police investigation was based on unverified and unfounded text messages, selected video footage obtained by SHO Adeel Afzal, and Dr Usama’s account. The commission said that, regardless of whether the death was suicide or murder, police had a duty to conduct a complete and professional investigation. It noted growing public concerns and complaints about police actions, highlighting a serious lack of trust between the police and the public and the possible loss of substantial evidence. The report said certain inexplicable actions meant the possibility of facts being concealed could not be ruled out. However, the commission said it lacked investigative powers and could not reach a definitive conclusion on whether facts had been deliberately concealed. The judicial commission said the controversy arose after a death initially declared a suicide was subsequently described as murder. It said police continued to maintain the suicide theory despite its inconsistency with the second post-mortem report. The conduct of Dr Usama and people associated with him further reinforced that position, according to the report. The commission said selected digital evidence apparently leaked to the media through police sources fuelled public speculation and gave rise to a narrative against the government. It said the police investigation was based on unverified and unfounded text messages, selected video footage obtained by SHO Adeel Afzal, and Dr Usama’s account. The commission said that, regardless of whether the death was suicide or murder, police had a duty to conduct a complete and professional investigation. It noted growing public concerns and complaints about police actions, highlighting a serious lack of trust between the police and the public and the possible loss of substantial evidence. The report said certain inexplicable actions meant the possibility of facts being concealed could not be ruled out. However, the commission said it lacked investigative powers and could not reach a definitive conclusion on whether facts had been deliberately concealed.