Sarim case: DNA test fails to identify criminal among 25 suspects

KARACHI: The investigation into the murder of Sarim, a seven-year-old boy who was found dead in a water tank 11 days after he went missing from North Karachi, has come to standstill as the DNA samples collected from 25 suspects did not match, ARY News reported quoting sources.

The DNA samples collected from the suspects and the crime scene do not match, leaving the investigators with no significant leads.

According to investigators, the victim’s body was found in a state of decomposition, which compromised the DNA evidence collected from the scene. The degraded DNA has hindered the matching process, making it challenging for investigators to identify the perpetrator.

The police last week have taken four more individuals into custody from the apartment in connection with the case and collected DNA samples from them. The investigation team is now exploring other avenues to crack the case.

Meanwhile, a new team has been formed to investigate a high-profile case in Karachi, comprising an SSP and four SHOs. This team will work alongside the existing investigation team to assist in the inquiry. Their responsibilities will include interviewing all suspects in the case.

Notably, the formation of this new team was done without any prior notification. The team will report directly to the DIG West on a daily basis, ensuring that progress is closely monitored

Read more: Karachi police recreate crime scene in Sarim murder case

It is worth noting here that the post-mortem report reportedly confirmed that Sarim was raped, tortured and murdered after being kidnapped.

As per the medical report, Sarim was strangled to death and his neck was broken while there were also multiple injury marks on the minor boy’s body.

A Karachi police official stated that the child was murdered five days before his body was discovered in the water tank .However, sources said that the special investigation committee found several contrasting facts in the circumstantial evidence and the post-mortem report.

Earlier on February 8, Karachi police took more individuals in custody in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Sarim.

The police team conducted a raid and took several accused into custody, including minors.

Following the arrests, tensions erupted between police and family members of those detained. The police is currently interrogating the suspects to gather more information about the case.